Chloride diffusion assessment in RC structures considering the stress-strain state effects and crack width influences.

Highlights • Chloride ions diffusion in sound/cracked RC under non-steady-state conditions. • Effects of the loads for the linear and non-linear material states are analysed. • Modified governing equations to account the no-constant diffusion are used. • Classic results (constant diffusion) vs. new ones (no-constant diffusion). • Chloride transport in damaged concrete, experimental and numerical aspects. Abstract The aim of this study is to investigate the chloride ions diffusion in sound and cracked concrete under compressive loads. The model includes the analytical setup and data analyses. The governing equations are modified to account for the no-constant chloride diffusion coefficient. With this condition it is possible to define several terms in the time domain to predict the service life of structures. The material is a saturated and hardened cement paste under non-steady-state conditions. Loads are studied for linear and non-linear material states. The predicted values at the depth of steel reinforcement ranges from 0.1 to 0.3% in 7–20 years. The ratio of the chloride diffusion coefficient under loading and no-loading is 9, whereas the chloride diffusivity coefficient in cracks is 0.9–1.3 times the chloride diffusion coefficient under loading. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]