Find below additional details for Step 5 of the Civil RBI Methodology.
Local historical records about the behavior of assets will provide the most valuable information.
Influence factors that determine the susceptibility to degradation are:
- Environmental conditions, e.g., temperature, humidity, wind, sunlight
- Material selection in relation with the environmental conditions, e.g., paint system, concrete cover, rubber type
- Design configuration of the asset, e.g., presence of secondary load paths
Example: Steel Asset
If there is a concern on the effects of corrosion, then the focus should be to what extent are the environments conducive to corrosion. Questions to ask are for instance: “is the surface painted, is there water, is it an aggressive medium and how does the actual exposure relate to the exposure as per design?”
Example: Concrete Asset
If rebar corrosion is a concern, then the actual concrete cover may be verified with the designed cover. Furthermore, the actual environmental conditions (e.g. Use of de-icing salts) may be verified with the environmental conditions that were assumed in the design.