Impact of climate change on the corrosion of the European reinforced concrete building stock

The new JRC Technical Report 'Impact of climate change on the corrosion of the European reinforced concrete building stock' reveals the extent of climate change effects on the corrosion of the reinforced concrete building stock in Europe due to carbonation of the concrete cover. Recent buildings constructed to current European standards are less susceptible to corrosion than the old ones built in 20th century. The projected cost for the EU Member States to repair the carbonation-triggered corrosion by the year 2100 is expected to reach approximately EUR 76 billion under the Representative Concentration Pathway 4.5 (RCP4.5) scenario based on moderate mitigation action, and EUR 883 billion under the extreme RCP8.5 scenario, where no mitigation action is undertaken. The study proves that if there would be no climate change, the depth of carbonation would be much smaller than the depth of the concrete cover and would not lead to corrosion process. 

The report underscores the significant economic and structural health challenges posed by climate change induced carbonation and provides policy recommendations to speed the adaptive measures across the EU Member States.