Models for the propagation phase of reinforcement corrosion – an overview

The deterioration of a concrete structure by reinforcement corrosion proceeds in two phases: the initiation stage and the propagation stage. The first stage describes the time to onset of corrosion due to carbonation of the concrete or chloride ingress. The second stage is the actual deterioration stage. Most methods for life time assessments refer only to the first stage, what is on the safe side with respect to design of structures, but also a model for the second stage can be of interest, e.g. if the remaining life time of an existing structure has to be estimated. This paper presents and discusses the state-of-the-art of models for the propagation stage with regard to their different approaches.