The course covers the mechanisms of degradation of concrete structures, and it largely provides the students with the relevant knowledge of available techniques and their application for strengthening and/or upgrading existing structural systems. The course also provides how to conduct field monitoring and non-destructive evaluation of concrete structures.
On a further/broader perspective, this course outlines the basic concepts and methods of the life-cycle management including conceptual/basic design, detailed design including service life design, and maintenance and rehabilitation for civil infrastructure. Firstly, objectives, functions and performance requirements for infrastructure will be discussed including selection of types and materials, performance verification and service life prediction at the basic/conceptual and detailed design stages. Then, maintenance procedures after construction will be covered including inspection, prediction, assessment, and interventions. Finally, the management methodologies are focused on how structural performance is ensured with the coordination of design and maintenance and how decision is made on interventions. Life-cycle cost analysis and environmental impact analysis will be dealt with as the indicators for decision making.