Analysis of the effect of aggressiveness of the petrochemical industrial environment on the durability of concrete structures

Abstract

Industrial units are considered an aggressive environment for reinforced concrete construction systems. Structures exposed to these environments are more susceptible to pathological manifestations. To better understand the impacts of this environment over time, concrete samples with different characteristics were exposed to a cooling tower environment in a petrochemical industry. Carbonation tests were conducted on specimens that remained in situ for 3 years and compared with results obtained after 5 months of exposure. For a second analysis, a comparison was made regarding the exposure medium: some specimens remained exposed in an urban environment; in contrast, the rest were exposed in an industrial environment next to a cooling tower for 6 months. Finally, a projection of the impact over time regarding carbonation was made using theoretical models. The results show that concretes with a higher water/cement ratio suffer greater degradation in the same environment, while for the second group, behavior varied depending on the exposure medium and the resistance class. Additionally, theoretical models indicate a reduction in the carbonation coefficient over time.