Use of indices to assess the performance of existing and repaired concrete structures

The aging of concrete structures and corrosion of reinforcing steel has resulted in an increasing need for repairs and strengthening. New repair materials and methods are being developed faster than experience on their performance is being obtained. For this reason, the need for adequate tools for assessing structures in an objective way has become a subject of crucial economic and social interest in the construction sector. In this paper, different methodologies which use indices for assessing structural performance are applied at different stages of a structure’s service life: (1) in routine inspections for the assessment of deteriorated structures, applying the Simplified Index of Structural Damage developed in the CONTECVET project; (2) in the selection of the best repair options, applying the repair index method (RIM) alternative to the LCCA as developed in the REHABCON project; (3) during monitoring of repair work, by means of a novel methodology for interpreting test and monitoring data, involving the calculation of the repair performance indicator (RPI) developed in the CONREPNET project.