Service life of marine concrete structures 

The modern, reliability-based service life design for marine structures is implemented in most new designs and in re-design of existing structures and has been adopted by national authorities and individual clients in countries all over the world. 

Marine structures are now usually designed for a service life of 100, 120 or even 200 years. This by far surpasses the assumed design life according to most codes and standards.

Internationally recognized expertise

COWI´s leading position within durability design and concrete technology is based on more than 40 years’ worldwide experience of design, operation and maintenance of exposed, reinforced concrete structures.

COWI initiated and managed the European research projects DuraCrete, DuraNet and DARTS and chaired all durability-related activities within the international organizations of CEB and now fib.

Reliability based service life design

Internationally, COWI provides the only available reliability-based service life design methodology that can combat chloride and carbonation-induced reinforcement corrosion.

All uncertainties regarding environmental exposure, material properties and deterioration modelling are taken into account.

Thus service life design, based on functional requirements, can be carried out by sticking to the same load-and-resistance factor design concept as the one used for structural design.