Initiation of corrosion of steel in reinforced concrete (RC) structures subjected to chloride exposures mainly depends on coefficient of chloride diffusion, Dc, of concrete. Therefore, Dc is one of the key parameters needed for prediction of initiation of reinforcement corrosion. Fick’s second law of diffusion has been used for long time to derive the models for chloride diffusion in concrete. However, such models do not include the effects of various significant factors such as chloride binding by the cement, multidirectional ingress of chloride, and variation of Dc with time due to change in the microstructure of concrete during early period of cement hydration. In this paper, a review is presented on the development of chloride diffusion models by incorporating the effects of the key factors into basic Fick’s second law of diffusion. Determination of corrosion initiation time using chloride diffusion models is also explained. The information presented in this paper would be useful for accurate prediction of corrosion initiation time of RC structures subjected to chloride exposure, considering the effects of chloride binding, effect of time and space on Dc, and interaction effect of multidirectional chloride ingress.

Laminated composite plates have become a crucial point of interest in the industry, with the need to ensure sustained and stable structures throughout the plates’ lifespan. This study conducted a bibliometric analysis using the Scopus database, gathering 8221 documents for further scrutiny based on the linked meta-data. Utilizing the VOS viewer software version 1.6.19, maps were generated from scientific publishing network data, illustrating connections between researchers’ nations and keywords. The investigation into co-occurring phrases associated with laminated composite plates employed author keywords. The results reveal a significant and close relationship among top authors, suggesting a strong research connection, with the United States and China leading the field. Top cited documents and keyword correlations are examined to gauge current research interests. These critical reviews serve as essential resources for scholars and practitioners in the field. Additionally, the review discusses the advancements in and practical applications of different theories for laminated composite plates, with a focus on a bibliometric study using the Scopus database. This paper categorizes models within the context of an equivalent single-layer laminate, analyzing variations in established theories and methodologies for modeling laminated composite plates to offer a nuanced understanding of approaches and assessments in this field.

Purpose: This paper aims to present a simple, yet accurate and efficient, formulation for computing the vertical soil stresses due to arbitrarily distributed surface pressures or loads over an arbitrarily shaped area. Design/methodology/approach: By leveraging on the strength of Green’s theorem, the present approach is based on the formulation of the classical Boussinesq solution as a boundary-type problem over an arbitrarily shaped simply- or multiply-connected loaded region. The accuracy of the developed formulation was exemplified through a number of illustrative examples, which included both simply- and multiply-connected loaded areas. Findings: The results of the test examples presented in this work indicated a high degree of accuracy and flexibility of the developed approach despite its simplicity. Originality/value: The main contribution of the present work is the introduction of an efficient meshless approach and an algorithm that can be implemented in few lines of code on any programing platform, as either a stand-alone program or a computational module in larger engineering software packages.