DURABILITY PLANNING AND SUSTAINABILITY FOR
NEW PROJECTS
Authors: Dr. Emad A. Abu-Aisheh
ABSTRACT
The exposure conditions of reinforced concrete in the
Arabian Gulf region constitute a severe environment,
which makes reinforced concrete most vulnerable to
deterioration and the weakest link in terms of durability.
The main factor affecting the durability of reinforced
concrete structures in the Arabian Gulf is steel
reinforcement corrosion due to chloride attack.
Around the world, infrastructure facilities are
designed and constructed on the basis of direct costs
and minimum standard requirements, without explicit
consideration of maintenance and depreciation over its
service life. Proper design, operation, and management
of infrastructure must deal with every facet of its service
life, including: feasibility studies, design, construction,
operation, maintenance, repair and rehabilitation, and
finally decommissioning and disposal of the system;
after it has outlived its useful life.
Durability planning is a crucial process in the design
of new infrastructure. It is the process that gives con-
fidence in the ability of the construction materials to meet
a nominated design life. This process involves four main
stages; environmental exposure assessment, deter-
mination of the likely modes and the rates of degrade-
ation, selection of suitable materials of construction and
operation, and maintenance planning.
This article discusses the basic concepts involved in
infrastructure durability and sustainability. The article
also looks at the processes involved in durability
planning, the resources available for durability assess-
ments, and discusses a durability challenge from a
recent mega-infrastructure project.
INTRODUCTION
Reinforced concrete structures in the Arabian Gulf
region show significant deterioration due to corrosion of
reinforcement, sulfate attack, salt weathering, and non-
1
structural cracking . The poor durability performance of
concrete is attributed to several interactive factors. High
temperatures, wide daily and seasonal fluctuations of
heat and humidity regimes, usually high prevalence of
chloride and sulfate salts, inadequate specifications and
poor construction practices, all act interactively to cause
noticeable concrete degradation within an alarming short
span of 5-10 years.
Durability plans prepared by independent durability
specialist consultants are now a requirement for many
major projects in several countries, including Australia.
Such plans provide the basis for durability design to
ensure that the project structures and elements will
achieve the design life requirements in the expected
exposure conditions using the materials, construction
methods, workmanship, and maintenance proposed.
Durability Plans cannot be prepared in isolation.
They need to take into account the proposed con-
struction methods, element shape and orientation, long-
term exposure, maintenance methods, quality control,
operating risks, and detailed design. Consequently, the
Plan must be developed through interaction with the
client, designer, contractor and other sub-contractors.
At the start of the project it is necessary to lay out
the process for the assessment of the durability during
the entire project duration. The planning process
involves four main stages: environmental exposure
assessment, determination of the likely modes and rates
of degradation, selection of suitable materials of con-
struction, and operation and maintenance requirements
for the design life.
The durability planning process utilizes a variety of
local and international standards, physical site inspection
and testing, extensive construction material testing, and
also involves interaction with the design teams from all
engineering and science disciplines. On well planned
projects, this process starts in the concept design phase
and usually continues throughout the design and
construction and into the operation and maintenance
phase. This article attempts to explain briefly the basis
behind sound durability planning for new infrastructures
to achieve sustainable infrastructures, focusing mainly
on concrete structures.
DURABILITY, SUSTAINABILITY AND
DESIGN LIFE
Durability is defined as the design of a structure or
facility to meet the design life requirement — by material
selection, degradation management, monitoring,
2
inspection and maintenance . A structure is considered
durable when it performs satisfactorily and maintains an
acceptable appearance as long as the owner and the
user need the structure.
A commonly used definition of the design life of a
SAUDI ARAMCO JOURNAL OF TECHNOLOGY WINTER 2010
project element is the period of time after the date of
practical completion, during which the item is expected
to operate within its specified design parameters without
3
replacement, refurbishment or major maintenance . The
design life of all elements of an asset may not be the
same and often depends on the ease with which an
element of the structure may be replaced or refurbished
without significant disruption to the operation of the
structure.
For the everyday buildings and normal structures,
the national codes and regulations will have defined
society's service life requirements — often not explicitly
but implicitly through the standards and codified design
requirements. It is often forgotten that complying strictly
with the performance requirements stated in codes and
standards will only provide the minimum quality and
performance acceptable to society, and the assumed
service life — when strictly complying with the Australian Fig. 1a. Photo depicting the Southern Seawater Desalination
concrete standard AS 3500, the British standard BSI BS Plant in Western Australia.
EN 206-1, the European concrete standard Euorocode 2
and the Canadian concrete standard CSA A23.3-04 — is
generally only 40 to 50 years. For many special struc-
tures, additional requirements must be satisfied for truly
long-term performance and service life of the structures.
This aspect is often completely overlooked by owners
and clients.
The term ―sustainable‖ can be defined as ―avoiding
4
depletion of natural resources .‖ Sustainable structures
should strive to conserve natural resources and mini-
mize waste (be an efficient, minimalist design, avoiding
extravagant architectural statements), minimize the
embodied energy in the structure (appropriate selection
of materials and material sources for the functional
demands of the project), and have a long life with mini-
mal maintenance input. Sustainability objectives for
infrastructure projects are best accomplished by en-
suring durable structures with long service life and low
maintenance, which on a whole-of-life basis, minimizes
Fig. 1b. Photo of the Gateway Bridge Arterial crossing the
material consumption over the long-term. It is likely that Brisbane River in Queensland, Australia.
such a structure also has the lowest whole-of-life
economic cost.
in the construction and manufacture of the structure and
To illustrate this point, this article cites two recent
associated equipment — will remain serviceable for the
projects designed to have an extended life in an
duration of the life of the structure.
aggressive environment. The Southern Seawater
Desalination Plant, Fig. 1a, is required to last 100 years.
Coatings, metal roofs, electrical and mechanical DURABILITY PLAN DEVELOPMENT AND
elements have a substantially shorter design life, and IMPLEMENTATION
are expected to be replaced during the life of the bridge
5
asset . Figure 1b is the Gateway Bridge Arterial, Durability plan process and implementation involves
crossing the Brisbane River in Queensland, Australia. seven major steps:
Most elements of the new bridge are designed for and is
expected to last 300 years. Again, the road wearing 1. Durability Review Process
surface, noise and traffic barriers and bridge bearing 2. Verification of each Element‘s Durability
may have a substantially shorter design life, and are 3. Incorporation of Durability Requirements in the
expected to be replaced during the life of the bridge Design
4
asset . Elements with shorter design lives are required 4. Durability Requirements during Construction
to be designed for ease of maintenance or replacement 5. Operation and Maintenance Requirements
during the life of the asset. 6. Durability Plan – Project Works Report – Addendum
The purpose of durability planning is to provide 7. Birth Certificate
assurance to all stakeholders that all materials — used

SAUDI ARAMCO JOURNAL OF TECHNOLOGY WINTER 2010

The information gathered above can be summarized in a
technical file or report called a Birth Certificate (step 7).
The Fédération Internationale du Béton (fib), New Model
Code Chapter 2, defines a Birth Certificate as: A
document, report or technical file (depending on the size
and complexity of the structure concerned) containing
engineering information formally defining the form and
6
the condition of the structure after construction .
ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURE
The first major step in durability planning is to under-
stand the environment for which the infrastructure is
being designed. It is also important to know if the
atmosphere contains aggressive species from nearby
industries. The degree of degradation may vary from
insignificant to severe depending on the material
exposed. It is important to fully understand which
aggressive elements are present in each exposure zone.
Many of the standards used in the design of large
structures provide nominal classification of the
environment. American Concrete standards typically use
classifications S0, S1, S2, S3 for Sulfate exposure, C0,
C1 and C2 for corrosion protection of reinforcement; P0
and P1 for low permeability requirements. But standards
that deal with steel or other metal structures use terms
like mild, moderate, and severe or designations like C1
to C5. It should also be noted that the environmental
classifications are not consistent between materials, and
for concrete elements the classification also varies with
the required design life. The difference in classification is
a result of the reaction different materials have with an
environment.
As an example, the interior columns, beams, and
slabs of an office building are subjected to an insigni-
ficant deterioration in accordance with ACI 318 exposure
environments — exposure classifications that apply to
this environment are S0, F0, P0, C0. Another example is
a pile in a marine structure subjected to seawater splash
— wetting and drying — in the Arabian Gulf. In this case,
the pile is subjected to severe deterioration in accord-
ance with ACI 318 — exposure classifications that apply
to this environment are P1, C2 (or C3), S2 (or S3) and
F0.
A single element of a structure may be exposed to a
variety of environments. For example, a bridge pile in a
creek may be exposed to the atmosphere, the water, a
buried environment, and possibly a tidal zone depending
on the location of the creek. Often, the most aggressive
environment needs to be considered for the entire
element to ensure that the element can be readily
constructed.
The most important design rule for minimizing
corrosion is to ensure that all water (whether from rain,
splash, condensation and the like) can drain from the
element substrate and that there is no propensity for
‗―ponding.‖ Consequently, flat roofs or roofs with a low
slope are generally subject to the most severe corrosion
conditions as well as a significant level of damage from
particulate dropout, pollution and UV radiation. Vertical
walls generally receive less exposure to the prevailing
weather than the roof and suffer less deterioration, but
can still be subject to corrosion.
Exposed areas that are subject to pollution and/or
deposition by marine salts but not washed by rain, such
as wall relief and overhangs, will show increased
corrosion. Typically, sheltered areas may also show
enhanced corrosion if they are subject to increased ―time
of wetness‖ due to condensation, which is not controlled
by direct sunlight.
Atmospheric
The atmospheric environment — whether an exposed
external, sheltered external or an internal atmospheric
environment, contains a multitude of elements,
pollutants and varying levels of humidity — may
contribute to the degradation processes of exposed
materials. There are a few factors which predominantly
affect the degradation of construction materials. The
most common elements that affect concrete structures
are aerosol salt, usually chloride based salts, sulfur
dioxide (SO2) and carbon dioxide CO2. For all materials,
one of the crucial parameters in determining the extent
of degradation is the time of wetness. The time of
wetness is essentially the period of each day in which
there is sufficient moisture in the air to sustain the
degradation processes occurring on the surface of the
material. In a marine environment, chloride ions are the
most aggressive species.
Buried
Buried environments are complex with no one element
or property of the soil indicating how buried elements will
react with the soil. The corrosivity of the buried environ-
ment for steel structures is primarily dependent on many
factors including: pH, chloride content, sulfate content,
resistivity, oxygen concentration, water content of the
soil, presence of active sulfate reducing bacteria and the
type of soil (e.g., organic content). For concrete
structures, the aggressiveness of the soil is primarily
dependent on a slightly different selection of factors
including: pH, chloride content, sulfate content, total
alkalinity calcium content, magnesium content, Langelier
Saturation Index, and the presence of acid sulfate soils
or potential acid sulfate soils.
In the buried environment it is necessary to
determine not only the concentration of aggressive
elements in the soil, but the replenishment rate or inflow
rate to enable a long-term as well as a short-term
estimate of degradation rates. Where the buried
elements form components of a tunnel structure, it is
important also to assess the effect of water pressure.
The affect of other aggressive substances on
concrete are discussed in the German Standard DIN
7 8
4030 and in the American Standard ACI 201.2R .
SAUDI ARAMCO JOURNAL OF TECHNOLOGY WINTER 2010
Immersed
Immersed environments can range from relatively
benign to severely corrosive toward steel and concrete.
The corrosivity depends on a number of factors
including: pH, dissolved salts (chlorides, sulfates),
dissolved carbon dioxide, flow rate, pollution, and
dissolved oxygen. In some environments, micro-
biological organisms can greatly accelerate the rate of
corrosion (e.g., accelerated low water corrosion). The
effect of these parameters is similar to those previously
listed.
External Influences
Aside from the physical aspects of the environment that
cause degradation to materials, there are other
influences — particularly within the buried and
sometimes the immersed environment — that also affect
the rate of degradation of materials. The most common
of these detrimental external influences are drainage
currents from Direct Current (DC) railways and
tramways, and stray current from adjacent Cathodic
Protection (CP) systems. Stray current corrosion from
these two sources is most common in buried steel
structures, particularly pipelines, however, it has
occasionally been observed in reinforced concrete
structures.
Changes to the Exposure Environment
The exposure environment may be changed in several
ways:
1. Mode of construction: The boring process for cast in-
situ pile in alluvial soil may expose potential acid
sulfate soils (PASS) allowing conversion to
aggressive acid sulfate soils (ASS). If a driven pile
has been used in preference to the bored pile, the
exposure to oxygen and the resultant conversion to
ASS is less likely to occur.
2. Operation or maintenance of the infrastructure:
Example 1 – In a long road tunnel, the buildup of
exhaust fumes may result in a drastic increase in
CO2 levels, SO2 and other gases, which increase the
corrosivity of the atmospheric environment. Example
2 – Chemical spills also cause a significant change
to the exposure environment.
3. Climate change – This is a large subject on its own
and will not be discussed here.
Physical Assessment of the Environment
Testing to confirm exposure conditions is an important
part of the durability process. Testing must occur within
the corridors of the project at the location where the
structure is to be built. This is particularly important for
buried environments as soil is not particularly homo-
genous over large distances or with depth, so testing
needs to be conducted at multiple locations within the
project boundaries.
SAUDI ARAMCO JOURNAL OF TECHNOLOGY WINTER 2010
For buried structures, including piles, pipelines and
basements of buildings, it is necessary to sample and
test both the soil and the groundwater at the depth at
which the structure will be buried.
MODES OF DEGRADATION OF
REINFORCED CONCRETE
The service environment places a durability ―loading‖ on
an asset and, depending on the construction materials,
quality of workmanship during construction and the level
of ongoing maintenance, the asset undergoes pro-
gressive deterioration or degradation, until unacceptable
damage occurs. The mode of degradation is specific to
the service environment and the construction material
under consideration.
Reinforced concrete can degrade by reacting with
the environment such that either the concrete matrix
loses cohesion and strength or the steel reinforcing rods
corrode. The two most common modes of degradation
are chloride ingress and carbonation, both result in
1, 9
corrosion of the steel reinforcement . Chloride induced
corrosion predominantly occurs in splash and tidal zones
and to a lesser extent in the immersed zones of marine
structures. Carbonation induced corrosion most com-
monly occurs in the atmospheric zone of structures
exposed to industrial pollution and road tunnel
environments.
The most important part of the structure protecting it
against ingress of aggressive substance is the concrete
cover. The quality of the concrete cover and the mini-
mum concrete cover thickness are the values normally
used when calculating the expected service life — based
on assumptions regarding the penetration of de-passi-
vating and corrosive substance to the reinforcement. It is
evident that the quality of the outer concrete layer — or
the concrete cover — and the cover thickness becomes
the one single most important quality determining
parameter. This is the only rational way of performing a
quantified service life design for new concrete structures
— and a residual service life design for existing
structures.
Concrete can lose cohesion and strength through
chemical reactions with sulfates and acidic ground
water, and contact with acid sulfate soil or soft flowing
ground water. The extent of degradation of the concrete
matrix from these causes can be difficult to estimate, so
the concrete mix is usually enhanced to prevent attack.
The enhancement of the mix may include: An increased
cementitious content, lower water content, an increased
density or the addition of supplementary cementitious
materials. In addition to reacting with the environment,
the service life of the concrete can also be reduced by
thermal cracking during the construction process.
RATE OF DEGRADATION
The next stage in the durability planning process is to
determine the estimated rates of degradation that are
likely in each exposure category in which the structure is
exposed. Degradation rate information can be obtained
from published data from long-term in-situ monitoring or
from concrete predictive modeling used with a computer
model to increase accuracy in predicting future
performance.
Concrete durability and rate of degradation depends
largely on the ease (or difficulty) with which fluids in the
form of liquid (water), gas (carbon dioxide, oxygen) or
ions (chlorides, sulfates) can migrate through the
hardened concrete mass. Concrete is a porous material,
therefore, moisture movement can occur by flow,
diffusion or sorption. We are concerned with all three,
but generally the overall potential for moisture and ion
ingress in concrete by these three modes is referred to
as its permeability. The durability of concrete is influ-
enced or controlled by the type, number and size of
9
pores present .
Low porosity/permeability/penetrability of concrete to
moisture and gas are the first line of defense against:
acid attack, sulfate attack, corrosion of steel embedment
and reinforcements, carbonation, alkali-aggregate
reaction, frost damage, and efflorescence, just to name
a few of the most prominent concrete degradation
mechanisms.
When concrete is submerged, water ingress can
also be assisted by an external head of water pressure.
The rate of this pressure ingress is resisted by the
density of the concrete. This property is measured by
testing the concrete's permeability (the property of
saturated concrete).
An excellent source of information is provided by
existing structures adjacent to the project site and
exposed to the environment of interest. Asset owners
may have sufficient information including as-built
drawings, duration of exposure and maintenance history,
to enable estimation of corrosion rates in specific
environments. Under exceptional circumstances, testing
may be permitted on adjacent structures to gain
degradation rates.
Predictive Modeling for Concrete Structures
The standards governing concrete structure, specifically
ACI 318-08 and ACI 350, only provide guidance on
requirements for durability for a number of general
environments. Sufficient consideration must be given to
a number of environments — encountered in the
durability planning processes — including: Chloride
contaminated soil or water (other than seawater),
atmospheres high in carbon dioxide, and hollow leg
(water on one side and air on the other). The degrade-
ation caused by these environments includes chloride
and carbonation induced corrosion.
The deterioration of concrete structures involves an
initiation phase (T0), a preliminary propagation phase
(T1), a secondary propagation phase (T 2) and a final
propagation phase (T3), Fig. 2. The end of the pre-
liminary propagation phase is the point at which the
corrosion has resulted in initiation of longitudinal cracks
Fig. 2. Events related to the service life, and detailing of the
10
propagation phase .
though minimal damage has occurred to the structure.
The damage escalates in the secondary propagation
phase and the end of this phase is marked by the
longitudinal cracks reaching the aesthetic limit of 0.3 mm
in width. The damage further escalates during the final
propagation phase, spalling occurs and the unaccept-
able loss of structural capacity occurs at the end of this
phase.
In the durability planning for a new structure the goal
of modeling is to ensure that during the design life period
for the structure, the deterioration does not pass beyond
the preliminary propagation phase (T 0). The available
models for the deterioration of concrete resulting from
either chloride ion ingress or carbonation of the cover
concrete only predict the duration of the initiation phase
(T0). The period of preliminary propagation is usually
estimated based on corrosion rates of steel reinforce-
ment in specific environments. Moderately dry concrete
exposed to high levels of CO2 may carbonate fairly
quickly but the rate of corrosion may be significantly
slow, to give in some circumstances, a T 1 period of 40-
50 years. In marine environments, the T 1 period may be
as short as 10 years or less. Although significant
research is still required to provide sound modeling of
the T1 phase, using the initiation period to estimate the
design life will produce an unnecessarily conservative
design particularly in some carbonation environments.
Modeling shall also be conducted to estimate the
likely early age of the thermal cracking of sections of
concrete due to the heat of hydration during the curing
process. CIRIA C660 is a commercially available model
that can successfully be used to predict early age
thermal cracking.
Chloride Ingress Modeling
Even though several transport mechanisms play a role in
the ingress of chloride ions into concrete, the majority of
models for chloride ion penetration are based on Fick‘s
Second Law of Diffusion for uncracked concrete. The
SAUDI ARAMCO JOURNAL OF TECHNOLOGY WINTER 2010
diffusion equation is modified to incorporate the time
dependent changes that occur with the chloride diffusion
coefficient. The goal of the modeling is to estimate the
depth of cover of concrete that will prevent the critical
concentration of chloride ions diffusing to the depth of
the reinforcing steel during the design life of the
structure. For chloride modeling, the design life period is
equated to T0 as the propagation period is relatively
short in comparison with the initiation period.
The critical concentration of chloride ions is typically
0.06% by weight of concrete. The critical concentration
is defined as the concentration at which corrosion is
initiated, independent from any damage to the structure.
Life 365 is commercially available software based on
ACI 365.1R for predicting service life of structures based
11
on chloride ingress and carbonation modeling .
A key missing-point in research is the corrosion in
RC flexural members (that normally include cracks)
subjected to chloride attacks. Ignoring cracks in research
on reinforcement corrosion can only produce incomplete,
flawed and in most cases, misleading results. A very
representative example is the initiation of corrosion in
RC flexural members in a chloride-laden environment, in
which a misperception has been prevalent for a long
time that it takes 20 - 30 years for corrosion to start
(based on Fick‘s Second Law). There has been
12
convincing evidence published , that in RC flexural
members subjected to chloride intrusion; the initiation of
reinforcement corrosion is a matter of short periods of
time, e.g., months, not years.
Carbonation Modeling
The rate of carbonation is dependent on a variety of
factors including the concentration of carbon dioxide,
moisture content of the concrete, concrete mix, curing
process, exposure conditions, size and distribution of the
pore in the concrete and connectivity of the pores. Unlike
corrosion of reinforcement in chloride contaminated
concrete, the rate of propagation of corrosion in
carbonated concrete may be relatively slow. So the goal
for the carbonation modeling is to estimate the cover
required to prevent the propagation of corrosion
exceeding T2 during the design life of the structure. As
the modeling only predicts the time to corrosion initiation,
a sound knowledge of the corrosion rates in carbonated
concrete under various environmental exposure is
required.
Modified versions of Fick‘s Second Law of Diffusion
are usually used to estimate the corrosion initiation
phase in carbonated concrete. A number of different
models have been developed over the years. The most
appropriate model is the Comité Euro-International du
13
Béton (CEB) model , which incorporates a number of
the factors that govern carbonation including mix design,
14
curing and CO2 concentration . The CEB model
provides a greater flexibility to adjust the model to suit
the specific environment than other models that are
available.
SAUDI ARAMCO JOURNAL OF TECHNOLOGY WINTER 2010
PROVISIONS TO ENHANCE THE
DURABILITY OF CONCRETE STRUCTURES
1. Interaction between durability design and execution.
Already at the design stage, possible means of
construction shall be considered and fixed, as this
will influence the durability design.
2. Concrete specification shall be performance based
to achieve the durability requirements for a specific
project. Performance based specifications are
becoming more common and are quantified by the
use or adaptation of test methods that measure the
principal chloride/carbon dioxide transport mech-
anism for specific exposure conditions .
15
3. Robustness in design and construction. One of the
main obligations of the conscious designer is to
adapt the design to the conditions under which the
structure is to be constructed, operated and
maintained to avoid structures being sensitive to
variations in the assumed qualities. A degree of
robustness in the design can be very advantageous
with respect to the future performance and durability
of the structure.
4. Selection of greater cover to reinforcement in
aggressive environments and the use of correct
spacers. The spacer material should have a good
bond to the concrete and should have similar hygro-
thermal deformation characteristics as concrete. In
this respect, plastic spacers are not compatible with
the surrounding concrete.
5. The use of various good quality supplementary
cementitious materials, such as pulverized-fuel ash
(PFA), ground granulated blast furnace slag
(GGBS), microsilica (MS) (also known as silica
fume) and metakaolin (MK) refines the pore
structure of concrete, achieving less permeable and
chemical resistant concrete.
6. Provision of electrical continuity for reinforcement in
substructure elements in more aggressive
environments, to enable future cathodic protection
installation if required.
7. Good detailing to enable compaction of concrete,
along with good vibration and subsequent curing
during construction, to ensure a dense layer of cover
concrete.
8. The use of self-compacting concrete (SCC) is a
concrete mix — where the placing and compaction
has minimal dependence on the available
workmanship on site — that would improve the
quality of the concrete in the final structure.
9. Use of controlled permeability form liners (CPFL).
The most important part of the structure protecting it
against ingress of aggressive substance is the
concrete cover, also considered the "skin" of the
structure. CPFL has proven effective in enhancing
the denseness of the outer mm and cm of the cover
by reducing the water-cement ratio and improving
the curing of this outer concrete layer.
10. Use of permeability reducing admixtures. The use
 of an admixture — characterized by hydrophobic
and pore-blocking ingredients (HPI) — appeared
to considerably improve concrete durability with
respect to chloride induced corrosion in concrete
mixtures. These admixtures could be one of the
solutions to chloride induced corrosion of steel
reinforcement in concrete structures in very
aggressive environments. The effectiveness of two
typical commercially available permeability re-
ducing admixtures, one characterized by crystal
growth and the other by an HPI, were recently
16
studied . Experimental chloride concentrations of
concrete specimens exposed to a simulated
coastal environment were reported. The results
were in favor of using HPI, whereas the inclusion
of a crystal growth admixture seemed to have
almost no detectable effects.
CONCLUSIONS
Durability design is a complex subject and only a flavor
of the issues has been provided in this article. For key
infrastructure planning, the following issues must be
considered:
 Assessment of exposure severity based on proper
statistical methods.
 Design based on anticipated deterioration
mechanisms and material performance.
 Durability design based on the lowest economic life
cycle costs.
 Specification of appropriate quality control tests.
 Specification of appropriate inclusion of sensors for
monitoring performance.
 Appropriate use of risk assessment to determine
testing and monitoring requirements and durability
confidence levels.
On major projects, a full durability plan, prepared by
a specialist durability consultant, will provide a degree of
assurance that the structures will meet their expected
design life; without the need for repairs that could be
expensive, and even more costly, in terms of effect on
operations.
Durability planning starts in the tender submission
phase of a project and continues throughout the design
and construction phase. The majority of the durability
planning process occurs in the detailed design phase.
This article mainly discussed the durability planning
processes associated with corrosion and deterioration of
concrete as these are the most common durability
problems in infrastructure. A summary of the durability
processes was presented in this article.
Finally, the competence to fully understand the
durability related problem complex and to achieve
optimized integrated performance based designs of
concrete structures will have to start with adapting this
into the engineering education curriculum. A new design
paradigm is needed for the design and execution of
concrete structures. This is a precondition for concrete
structures to increase competitiveness, and therefore
remain the solid and reliable foundation for future
societal prosperity.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The author would like to thank the management of
Saudi Aramco for permission to publish this article. This
article was previously presented and published in the
proceedings of the International Conference on Future
Concrete, Doha, Qatar, November 1-3, 2010, pp. 59-70.
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SAUDI ARAMCO JOURNAL OF TECHNOLOGY WINTER 2010
BIOGRAPHY
Dr. Emad A. Abu-Aisheh joined
Saudi Aramco in February 2009 as a
Structural and Civil Materials
Engineer working in the Consulting
Services Department. Prior to joining
Saudi Aramco he was leading the
concrete technology and structural
dynamics unit of WorleyParsons,
Australia. Emad also served as lecturer and research
scientist at the University of Melbourne, Victoria,
Australia, Curtin University, Perth, Australia, Virginia
Tech, Blacksburg, VA and the Higher Colleges of
Technology, Abu Dhabi, U.A.E. He has over 22 years of
experience in structural engineering and concrete
technology split between academia, research and
industry.
Emad‘s specialty fields include: durability, concrete
technology, structural engineering, repair and
waterproofing of concrete structures, liquid retaining
structures, modal testing of civil structures, structural
health monitoring, NDT of civil engineering structures,
and finite element modelling. He has 19 world-class
publications and over 40 technical engineering reports in
the areas of structural dynamics, durability, concrete
technology and NDT.
In 1986, Emad received his B.S. degree and in
1987, he received his M.S. degree, both in Civil
Engineering from the University of Mississippi, Oxford,
MS. He received his Ph.D. degree in 2003 in Civil
Engineering from the University of Melbourne, Victoria,
Australia.
Emad is a member of several international
organizations, including the American Concrete Institute.