Assessment of Gas Leakage Rates through Damaged Reinforced-Concrete Walls
Publication: Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 24, Issue 5
Abstract
The increased permeability that develops in damaged concrete walls translates directly to increased leakage of gases through the wall. For reinforced concrete structures housing dangerous gases, it is important to evaluate the level of containment the structure is providing subsequent to development of damage; therefore, knowledge of the leakage rate through the wall is of upmost importance. Using results from an experimental program described in a companion paper, the leakage of air through damaged reinforced concrete wall specimens subjected to both uniaxial and biaxial loading conditions is assessed. Results suggest applicable leakage rate formulas and highlight limitations when using such formulas for future predictive analyses.
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Acknowledgments
This work was supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) under Grant No. CMMI-0729357, where Drs. Jorn Larsen-Basse and Lawrence Bank were the program managers. Special thanks to Dr. Ting Wang, who assisted with the specimen design and construction; Ms. Maya Stoevhase, who assisted with the uniaxial specimen leakage rate analyses; and the UCSD Powell Laboratory staff, in particular, Dr. Chris Latham, Mr. Andy Gunthardt, and Mr. Bob Parks. The above support is greatly appreciated. Opinions, findings, and conclusions expressed in this paper are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the sponsoring organization.
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© 2012. American Society of Civil Engineers.
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Received: Jan 6, 2011
Accepted: Oct 27, 2011
Published online: Nov 3, 2011
Published in print: May 1, 2012
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