(Subscription required) As sea levels rise, salt water pushes in from the ocean and permeates the ground, a process called saltwater intrusion. This process can cause the ground to shift, which can imperil the structural integrity of a high-rise building. Salt water also can deteriorate foundations not built to withstand it. That seawater slowly soaks into the concrete, bringing with it chloride ions that penetrate into reinforced steel bars inside. The steel corrodes and expands, effectively breaking the concrete from the inside out, said John Scully, a corrosion specialist at the University ...