STADIUM (Software for Transport and Degradation In Unsaturated Materials) is a or service life prediction method which uses
finite element
The finite element method (FEM) is a popular method for numerically solving differential equations arising in engineering and mathematical modeling. Typical problem areas of interest include the traditional fields of structural analysis, heat t ...
software in conjunction with certified lab testing to determine the service life of exposed
reinforced concrete
Reinforced concrete (RC), also called reinforced cement concrete (RCC) and ferroconcrete, is a composite material in which concrete's relatively low tensile strength and ductility are compensated for by the inclusion of reinforcement having hig ...
.
Development
SUMMA
STADIUM was originally developed in the late 1990s for in-house use by SIMCO Technologies, then an engineering firm specialised in the aging of concrete structures. STADIUM uses time-step finite element analysis to simulate the progress of harmful ions (including
chloride
The chloride ion is the anion (negatively charged ion) Cl−. It is formed when the element chlorine (a halogen) gains an electron or when a compound such as hydrogen chloride is dissolved in water or other polar solvents. Chloride salts ...
,
sulphate
The sulfate or sulphate ion is a polyatomic anion with the empirical formula . Salts, acid derivatives, and peroxides of sulfate are widely used in industry. Sulfates occur widely in everyday life. Sulfates are salts of sulfuric acid and many ar ...
, and
hydroxide
Hydroxide is a diatomic anion with chemical formula OH−. It consists of an oxygen and hydrogen atom held together by a single covalent bond, and carries a negative electric charge. It is an important but usually minor constituent of water. I ...
) through concrete, by considering the chemical and physical properties of the concrete being analysed.
As the
US Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage of ...
needed a tool to accurately predict the degradation of waterfront concrete structures, SIMCO Technologies and its U.S. partner, the RJLee Group, were awarded
Small Business Innovative Research
The Small Business Innovation Research (or SBIR) program is a U.S. government funding program, coordinated by the Small Business Administration, intended to help certain small businesses conduct research and development (R&D). Funding takes the f ...
(SBIR) funds from the US Navy for a Phase I feasibility study in 2002. In 2003, Phase II funds were awarded to the team to fully integrate chloride ingress and corrosion initiation prediction in STADIUM. Several industrial partners also joined this effort:
Lafarge
La Farge, LaFarge or Lafarge can refer to:
People
* Antoinette LaFarge (1966–), American artist and writer
* Christopher Grant LaFarge (1862–1938), American architect and partner in the firm Heins & LaFarge
* Christopher Grant La Farge ( ...
,
Holcim
Holcim is a Swiss-based global building materials and aggregates flagship division of the Holcim Group. The original company was merged on 10 July 2015 with Lafarge to form LafargeHolcim as the new company and renamed to Holcim Group in 2021 ...
, Euclid,
BASF
BASF Societas Europaea, SE () is a German multinational corporation, multinational chemical company and the List of largest chemical producers, largest chemical producer in the world. Its headquarters is located in Ludwigshafen, Germany.
The ...
, Sika, MMFX, and Grace Chemicals. The consortium was called SUMMA.
The main outcomes of this research phase were:
*Integration of ionic exchange in the chemical module to model chloride binding.
*Determination of the chloride corrosion threshold based on the modified G109 test procedure (some of these tests are still ongoing).
*Integration of temperature effects in the model.
*Determination of transport properties for more than 20 concrete mixtures.
*Development of a Graphical User Interface for STADIUM.
SUMMA2
STADIUM development continued with the second phase of the SUMMA research program (SUMMA2), leading to the commercialisation of STADIUM 2.9 to coincide with the specification of STADIUM service life modelling for new waterfront constructions for the US Navy.United Facilities Guide Specifications (UFGS-03 31 29) February 2010.
STADIUM 2.99
STADIUM 2.99 is currently the most recent build of the STADIUM client. Being a web-based program, a user's files are accessible from any other computer with the STADIUM 2.99 client installed, and requires a secure username and password to access.
STADIUM Lab
As the STADIUM model relies on laboratory testing, STADIUM Lab is the software component required by concrete laboratories in order to characterize concrete for use in STADIUM, as well as service life quality control. Only labs accredited by SIMCO Technologies are qualified to perform STADIUM Lab testing.
Applications
STADIUM has been used as quality control for US Navy projects such as the Kilo Wharf extension project in Guam, the Modular Hybrid Pier, and evaluations of the
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor is an American lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. It was often visited by the Naval fleet of the United States, before it was acquired from the Hawaiian Kingdom by the U.S. with the signing of the Re ...
Dry Docks.
State Departments of Transport have also begun using STADIUM, such as the
NJDOT
The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) is the agency responsible for transportation issues and policy in New Jersey, including maintaining and operating the state's highway and public road system, planning and developing transportat ...
's use of STADIUM for analysis of the Route 21 Southbound Viaduct in