Concrete is the foundation of the modern world and the most important construction material ever created. It is extremely strong, durable even in extreme conditions, often requires little maintenance to keep using and is astonishingly long-lasting.
In many cases, the longevity of concrete can be measured in terms of decades, with some concrete structures having lasted for thousands of years.
A professional concrete condition survey will be able to determine how well your concrete structure is faring, how long it is expected to last and if there are any concerning or confounding elements that could potentially cause a concrete structure to fall.
According to The Concrete Society, the standard for structural design provides a recommended minimum lifespan for various different structures that use concrete, grouped by BS EN 1990 into five separate categories:
- Category 1 buildings, which are temporary structures not expected to be reused, are expected to last ten years.
- Category 2 buildings, which consist of structural components designed to be replaced, are expected to last between ten and 25 years.
- Category 3 buildings, which typically include agricultural buildings or other buildings that are expected to be particularly tested by the elements, are expected to last between 15 and 30 years.
- Category 4 buildings, which consist of most common buildings, concrete roads, factories and other common buildings, are expected to last at least 50 years.
- Category 5 buildings, which include bridges, major civil engineering projects and monumental construction projects, are expected to last at least a century.
However, whilst these are the standard categorisations that different mixes of concrete will be designed to meet, there are a wide range of factors that can affect durability.
The biggest of these is environmental conditions, with salt water and acid exposure potentially causing increased levels of wear and tear that will need to be factored into preparation and maintenance.
As well as this, reinforcement, material quality, construction techniques and improvements to additives and reinforcing materials can all affect the working life of concrete.