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Preserving Existing Infrastructure

10/18/2017

ACI President Khaled Awad welcomed attendees to the 3rd ACI/JCI Joint Seminar on Existing Structures at The Concrete Convention and Exposition, Anaheim, CA.

This four-part seminar included a series of presentations that explored topics related to the challenges in the preservation of existing concrete bridges and building infrastructure. Challenges of preservation of infrastructure include the development of maintenance strategies to address long-term durability concerns, examination of the response to unexpected loadings, and the development of standards for repair/retrofit of existing structures.

The seminar keynote presentation “Research Interest in RC Structures: From Mechanical Behaviors to Durability,” focused on the Japan Society of Structural Engineers (JSCE) seismic design code, and how properly designed structures, and seismic strengthened structures fared after the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011.

Attendees learned that although some damage was recognized in reinforced concrete structures, none or slight damage was observed on the properly designed structures as well as seismic strengthened structures based on the codes developed after the Great Hanshin Earthquake. On the other hand, the damage by tsunami was devastating. Many reinforced concrete bridges were damaged and girders were washed away. Reinforced concrete buildings, however, showed strong against the tsunami.

Reinforced concrete structures constructed in the coastal regions of Japan suffer salt attack problems. For the past 30 years a great increase in deterioration of reinforced concrete bridges structures due to corrosion of reinforcing bars has been remarkable in the area facing the Japan sea. Various countermeasures have been developed and carried out in the field. As far as the durability is concerned, it takes a long time either to examine the deterioration mechanism or to find out the effectiveness of countermeasures. Research and technical developments on this issue were presented.

The final session in the seminar featured a panel discussion to develop plans for future collaboration between ACI and JCI and develop strategies for infrastructure preservation.

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