Climate change-induced carbonation of concrete infrastructure

• Published in: Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers - Construction Materials
• Main Authors: Talukdar, Sudip, Banthia, Nemkumar, Grace, John, Cohen, Stewart
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Thomas Telford Ltd. 2014
• Subjects: Mechanics of Materials; General Materials Science; Civil and Structural Engineering; Ice Sheet
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1680/coma.13.00014; https://www.icevirtuallibrary.com/doi/pdf/10.1680/coma.13.00014

There is a nearly unanimous consensus among scientists that increasing greenhouse gas emissions, primarily carbon dioxide generated by human activity, are effecting the Earth's climate. For many key parameters, the climate system is already moving beyond the patterns of natural variability within which our societies and economies have developed and thrived. These parameters include global mean surface temperature, sea-level, ocean and ice sheet dynamics, and extreme climatic events. There is a significant risk that many of the trends will accelerate, leading to an increasing risk of abrupt or irreversible climatic shifts. One overlooked area of research is the impact of climate change on concrete infrastructure. Concrete structures form an essential part of the world. Climate change could potentially affect the durability of concrete infrastructure. In this paper, the findings of a study at the University of British Columbia which demonstrate a long-term risk to the durability of steel-reinforced concrete structures in some parts of the world via accelerated carbonation-induced corrosion are presented. Research demonstrates that service lifespans of structures will be affected in the long term, with the need for earlier repairs unless the adverse effects of climate change are taken into account at the time of design.