Purpose: to show the influence of various factors such as water-cement ratio, carbonation, chloride penetration and frost resistance on the durability of concrete and its ability to protect reinforcement from Methods: applied methods of analysis and modeling. Based on a comparative study of existing data, norms and scientific publications, the interrelationships between the water-cement ratio, the depth of chloride penetration, carbonation and frost resistance of concrete, as well as their effect on the corrosion resistance of reinforcing steel, are considered. Results: it has been established that the water-cement ratio is one of the most important parameters determining the durability of concrete. An increase in the watercement ratio leads to an increase in the depth of chloride penetration and acceleration of carbonation processes, which ultimately reduces the corrosion resistance of reinforcement and the durability of concrete structures. Practical significance: in production conditions, ensuring the durability of concrete structures requires an integrated approach that takes into account not only strength characteristics, but also a wide range of other indicators that directly affect the performance properties of concrete. For specific operating conditions, properties such as frost resistance, density, resistance to aggressive media and biological influences, crack resistance and the ability to resist carbonation may be the most important.