Modelling the effect of chloride binding on chloride diffusion in concrete structures

Reinforced concrete has been very common and widely used as a construction material for civil infrastructures and building structures. However, its durability and sustainability has remained of great concern to structural engineers and clients from point of view of its service life and safety under the influence of external environmental conditions. The main thrust of this paper is to establish a numerical model based on a nonlinear finite element method to predict the diffusion of chloride into concrete structures. The formulation of the numerical model is implemented considering the chemo-physical phenomena associated with various bounded chloride functions and its influence on chloride diffusivity. Results from the analysis including the effect of bounded-chloride formulation on the diffusion behaviour of chloride have been assessed and highlighted. Similar analysis has been performed using ANSYS based on thermal analogy technique. Feasibility of the results of this investigation to match with that of experimental findings has been ascertained.