Author(s): Xiaoqing He; Yonglai Zheng; Wei Shao
Linked Author(s):
Keywords: Marine environment Chloride ion corrosion Reinforced concrete (RC) pipe piles Durability life
Abstract: Reinforced concrete (RC) pipe piles are exposed to marine environments for a long time during their service life. In addition to enduring the effects of wind, waves, water currents, etc., they will also be exposed to severe chloride ion erosion environments for a long time. The corrosion of chloride ions is mainly divided into two types: uniform corrosion and pitting corrosion. This study is based on Fick's second law and establishes a chloride ion diffusion equation. At the same time, factors such as temperature, humidity, and concrete aging are considered to modify the chloride ion diffusion equation, and its analytical solution is calculated. Based on the time-varying law of chloride ions, models for chloride ion diffusion, pitting corrosion, and crack propagation were established to predict the critical corrosion depth and durability life of pipe piles under different corrosion modes. Sensitivity analysis and error analysis were also carried out on the factors affecting the durability of RC pipe piles. It concludes that the maximum corrosion depth and durability life prediction of RC piles obtained under uniform corrosion mode are much smaller than those obtained under pitting corrosion mode. The assumption of uniform corrosion greatly underestimates the durability of RC pipe piles against corrosion. Finally, based on the actual engineering situation, suggestions are proposed for the current research on durability of marine engineering.
Year: 2025