Book Review of 'Concrete Durability', Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers' August 2016, pp237.

Description

Concrete Durability
T. Dyer. CRC Press, Boca Raton, 2014, ISBN 978-0-415-56475-5
(hardback), £60.00, 431 pp.

Concrete Durability by Thomas Dyer is a must-have guide for all
professionals working in a concrete-related field. The durability of concrete
has become a key issue for civil engineers as there is an increasing demand
for concrete structures to be maintenance free and have a long service life.
Furthermore, much concrete infrastructure is expected to remain durable
beyond its intended lifespan. Therefore, the importance of concrete
durability is of more concern than it ever has been before and durability has
many economic and environmental consequences. This book provides an
explanation of how several of the main mechanisms of concrete
deterioration occur. The design of concrete to resist these mechanisms,
methods to identify deterioration and repair techniques are also considered.
A wide range of physical and chemical mechanisms of concrete
degradation is considered including shrinkage, thermal cracking and sulfate
attack. In particular, discussion of the mechanism of acid attack is
interesting, wherein factors influencing the rate of acid attack and the
action of specific acids are considered. Potential methods that may be used
to increase the acid resistance of concrete are also discussed.
The corrosion of steel reinforcement in concrete is also evaluated. The
author aims to examine the process of corrosion, establishes the main
mechanisms that cause the steel in concrete to corrode and suggests
possible methods to protect steel in concrete from corrosion. This format
offers the reader an explanation of the problem, along with possible
methods to achieve increased protection for steel reinforcement in
concrete.

Another aspect considered in this book is the specification and design of
durable concrete and the construction of durable concrete structures. In
these chapters, the various constituents of concrete are considered as well
as the concrete mix design for concrete under different exposure
conditions. As is often the case throughout the book, the standards and
guidance are considered, which gives the reader useful information on the
approaches taken by the relevant standards. This means the book should
remain useful and relevant for many years to come.

The last chapter of the book reflects on the serviceability, repair and
maintenance of concrete structures. The author describes some of the in
situ tests that can be carried out to assess the condition of concrete. These
include the measurement of concrete cover, surface absorption and
resistivity. Various laboratory tests that can be carried out to assess the
durability of concrete are also considered. The author also discusses various
repair methods that can be used to ensure that effective repairs can be
carried out.

Concrete Durability is an excellent reference and guide for those involved in
concrete in any way, including researchers, engineers, consultants and
graduates. Overall, this is a great book written in a coherent and logical
format; it offers a substantial review of the subject, exploring many of the
wide-ranging issues that are related to the durability of concrete.

Timothy Aiken