Mechanism and control of the long-term performance evolution of structures

It is well known that structural properties degrade under long-term environmental exposure and loading and that the degradation rate is controlled by inherent physical and chemical degradation mechanisms. The elucidation of the degradation mechanisms and the realization of effective long-term performance degradation control have been a research frontier in the field of civil engineering in recent years. Currently, the major topics that concern this research frontier include revealing the physical and chemical mechanisms of structural performance evolution under long-term environmental exposure and loading and developing structural performance degradation control technologies based on fiber-reinforced materials, for example, fiber-reinforced polymers (FRPs) and fabric-reinforced cementitious matrix (FRCM). In addition, there are novel structural performance control technologies, such as using a shape memory alloy (SMA) and self-healing concrete. This paper presents a brief state-of-the-art review of this topic, and it is expected to provide a reference for subsequent research.