Diagnosis and Prognosis of Concrete Infrastructure: Condition Assessment, Service-Life Prediction and Rehabilitation (1.2 CEUs)

Course Description
Concrete infrastructure is exposed throughout its service life to physical, chemical, mechanical, and environmental actions that can progressively reduce safety, serviceability, and durability. Effective infrastructure management therefore requires more than identifying visible distress: engineers must determine the underlying deterioration mechanisms, quantify the current condition, forecast future performance, and select technically and economically appropriate interventions.
This intensive course provides participants with a practical framework for the diagnosis and prognosis of aging concrete infrastructure. It covers major deterioration mechanisms; inspection planning; non-destructive, microscopic, mechanical, analytical, and statistical assessment methods; serviceability and structural appraisal; service-life prediction; and the selection of repair, rehabilitation, and maintenance strategies.
Based on state-of-the-art research and industry practice, the course integrates technical instruction with real infrastructure case studies and practical exercises. Participants will learn how to transform field observations and test results into defensible engineering decisions and performance-based management plans for bridges, buildings, transportation systems, parking structures, water infrastructure, and other critical concrete assets.

Objective
The participant will learn how to identify deterioration mechanisms affecting concrete infrastructure, plan and execute condition assessments, select and interpret appropriate field and laboratory tests, estimate future deterioration and remaining service life, and evaluate repair, rehabilitation, and maintenance alternatives. Participants will gain a structured, risk-informed approach for converting diagnostic and prognostic information into practical asset-management decisions that improve reliability, extend service life, and optimize life-cycle costs.

Target Audience

• Civil and Structural Engineers

• Bridge and Transportation Engineers

• Municipal and Infrastructure Engineers

• Materials and Durability Specialists

• Asset and Facility Managers

• Engineering Consultants and Project Managers

• Infrastructure Owners and Government Agencies

• Inspection, Testing, and Quality-Control Professionals

• Contractors, Repair Specialists, and Engineering Technologists

• Graduate Engineers-in-Training

Recommended prerequisite: basic knowledge of concrete materials and reinforced-concrete structures.

Level of Course
Advanced

Learning Objectives
After you attend this course/workshop, you will be able to:

• Recognize and differentiate the principal deterioration mechanisms affecting concrete infrastructure.

• Plan a condition-assessment program based on asset type, exposure, observed distress, risk, and project objectives.

• Select suitable visual, non-destructive, microscopic, mechanical, and chemical assessment techniques.

• Interpret field observations, laboratory results, and condition indicators while recognizing test limitations and uncertainty.

• Diagnose the causes, extent, severity, and consequences of concrete deterioration.

• Estimate deterioration progression, remaining service life, and future serviceability using experimental, analytical, and statistical approaches.

• Evaluate repair, rehabilitation, maintenance, and monitoring alternatives for damaged concrete assets.

• Apply serviceability, structural-appraisal, risk, and life-cycle concepts to infrastructure decision-making.

• Develop a performance-based diagnosis, prognosis, and management plan for an aging concrete structure.

Special Features
The course combines technical instruction with real-world case studies, guided interpretation of inspection and testing data, service-life prediction exercises, and a group infrastructure-management workshop. Participants will compare assessment methods, identify deterioration mechanisms from field evidence, evaluate uncertainty, and develop a defensible diagnosis and prognosis for a representative concrete asset. Practical demonstrations and examples of non-destructive, microscopic, and mechanical assessment techniques will connect the scientific principles to engineering practice. The capstone exercise requires participants to recommend repair, maintenance, monitoring, and performance-based management actions based on condition, risk, service-life, and life-cycle considerations.

Material(s) Required
• Scientific calculator

• Laptop computer with spreadsheet software, preferably Microsoft Excel

• Course notes, worksheets, case-study data, and reference materials will be provided by the instructor