Durability Assessment of Large-Panel Concrete Structures

The durability assessment of large-panel concrete structures addresses the long-term serviceability and safety of prefabricated buildings that rely on precast concrete elements assembled on site. These structures, widely erected in the mid-to-late twentieth century, often exhibit deterioration driven by carbonation, chloride ingress, freeze–thaw cycles and moisture-related mechanisms. Primary concerns include the integrity of joint connections, corrosion of embedded reinforcement and loss of concrete cover. Assessment strategies combine visual inspection with non-destructive testing and selective sampling to map degradation across façades and internal walls. Computational models of transport phenomena and corrosion-induced cracking enhance prediction of service life, while demolition-based studies and targeted destructive tests offer ground truth for calibrating inspection protocols. Emerging research integrates reactive transport equations to capture porosity effects and leverages recycled coarse aggregate as a sustainable option for panel refurbishment. Together, these approaches underpin a holistic methodology for evaluating technical condition, guiding maintenance, retrofitting and urban regeneration initiatives on a global scale.

Research from Nature Portfolio

No recent Nature Portfolio content available.

Durability Assessment of Large-Panel Concrete Structures publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in durability assessment of large-panel concrete structures across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Carbonation: Chemical reaction of atmospheric carbon dioxide with hydration products in concrete, reducing pH and promoting steel corrosion.

Chloride ingress: Penetration of chloride ions into concrete pore structure, accelerating reinforcement corrosion.

Freeze–thaw cycles: Repeated freezing and thawing of pore water in concrete, leading to internal cracking and surface scaling.

Reactive transport modelling: Computational simulation of coupled chemical reactions and species transport within porous media.

Non-destructive testing (NDT): Inspection techniques (e.g., ultrasonic, thermographic) that assess material condition without extracting samples.

Porosity: Measure of void space within concrete influencing fluid transport and durability performance.

Destructive testing: Methods (e.g., core sampling) that physically remove concrete specimens to determine strength and chemical composition.

References

1. RAAC panels can suddenly collapse before any warning of corrosion-induced surface cracking. npj Materials Degradation (2025).
2. Large Panel System Technology in the Second Half of the Twentieth Century—Literature Review, Recycling Possibilities and Research Gaps. Buildings (2022).
3. Degradation Analyses of Systemic Large-Panel Buildings Using Comparative Testing during Demolition. Materials (2022).
4. Diagnostics of Large-Panel Buildings—An Attempt to Reduce the Number of Destructive Tests. Materials (2023).