Geographic division of exposure environment for concrete structure based on fuzzy clustering‐rough set information entropy

Abstract

Deterioration of concrete structures is closely related to their service environment. Under different environmental conditions, the durability performance of structures will be different. To perform durability design based on local conditions and extend the service life of structures, it is necessary to divide their service environment based on the prevailing deterioration mechanism. In this study, considering Guangdong Province as an example, the environmental conditions affecting the durability of concrete structures are investigated and the geographical distribution of environmental conditions is analyzed, including ambient temperature, precipitation, corrosive gas, acid rain, and salt fog. The weights of the regional durability indexes are calculated by combining fuzzy clustering analysis with information entropy using rough set theory. Based on the assessment data of 1324 existing concrete structures, the durability geographic division map of Guangdong Province, including three regions (Chloride corrosion region, Acid rain‐carbonation coupling region, and Carbonation region), is constructed. This geographic division map is divided into a total of eight subregions by considering the subordinate factors in each region. The environmental characteristics of each region and its dominating deterioration mechanism for concrete structures are analyzed, and suggestions for durability design are provided.