Mechanics of Durability of Structural Concrete: a New Approach to the Phenomenon of Degradation. Part 1. Shrinkage

Concrete is a material widely used in construction works and buildings that support people’s lives. The operability of concrete structures can be maintained for a long time if such structures are properly designed and built. The article proposes a new approach to the mechanics of durability to establish a systematic prediction and assessment of the be- havior of reinforced concrete structures depending on time. The chemical and mechanical wear of cement materials over time due to chemical reactions, environmental effects and external loads is described by physico-chemical models of reaction, transfer, destruction and their compounds. In addition, the operability of concrete structures over time is discussed. The outlines of several representative research projects on the mechanics of durability are presented.