Achieving sustainable resilience in new precast concrete structures (X535)

About 70% of global structural degradation in industrialised countries is reportedly due to corrosion. It is estimated that globally there are US$2.5 trillion of repairs to be carried out on infrastructure and buildings due to this issue. The surprisingly high (if largely hidden) cost of corrosion represents about 3.4% of global GDP. This is huge, but it is potentially avoidable in the future.

This report aims to help construction clients, architects, engineers, main contractors and precast manufacturers reduce the impact of corrosion in future. It does this by signposting methods for combatting the root causes of corrosion using sustainable materials and methods that, when combined, deliver enhanced resilience and reduced whole-life cost and carbon for a structure.

With increases in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and average temperatures, along with more frequent, extreme weather events, society can expect the impact of corrosion to grow even larger – unless industry does things di?erently. This report suggests how to design more resilient structures, using precast concrete, and protecting investments in embodied carbon.

Author: Atkins, C, Davis, S, Fraser, N, Hirst, C, Jones, G, Lambert, P
Number of pages: 44
Publisher: CIRIA
Date of Publication: May 2022