CORROSION

PROTECTION
Basic corrosion theory and protection
methods

Corrosion & Corrosion Control

What is Corrosion
How/Why Does Corrosion Occur
Corrosion Costs
Forms of Corrosion
Corrosion Control Methods Hot-dip Galvanizing (HDG)
Process
Coating Characteristics
Performance in Corrosive Environments
Galvanized Steel in Action

What is Corrosion?
Corrosion
The chemical or electrochemical reaction between a

material and its environments that produces a

deterioration of the material and properties.

The Galvanic Series

ZINC Anode
STEEL Cathode
This arrangement of metals determines what metal will be

the anode and cathode when the two are put in a

electrolytic cell (arrangement dependent on salt water as
electrolyte).

Bare Steel Corrosion

Microscopic anodic and cathodic areas exist on a single

piece of steel.
As anodic areas corrode, new material of different

composition is exposed and thus has a different electrical

potential

Forms of Corrosion
General

Identified by uniform formation of corrosion products that

causes a even thinning of the substrate steel
Localized

Caused by difference in chemical or physical conditions

between adjoining sites

 Bacterial

Caused by the formation of bacteria with an affinity for

metals on the surface of the steel
Galvanic/Dissimilar Metal

Caused when dissimilar metals come in contact, the

difference electrical potential sets up a corrosion cell or a
bimetallic couple

Corrosion Costs
Indirect Cost
Catastrophe

Public safety, property damage, environmental contamination

Natural Resource
Waste production increased energy consumption
Public Outcry

Traffic, inconvenience

Direct Costs
NACE, CC Technologies, & FHWA jointly produced a
report in 2001 detailing the costs of corrosion
$276 billion USD annually
3.1% of US GDP (1998)

Methods of Corrosion Control

Barrier Protection

Provided by a protective coating that acts as a barrier between

corrosive elements and the metal substrate
Cathodic Protection

Employs protecting one metal by connecting it to another metal that

is more anodic, according to galvanic series
Corrosion Resistant Materials

Materials inherently resistant to corrosion in certain environments

Barrier Protection
Paint
Powder Coatings
Galvanizing

Cathodic Protection
Impressed Current
Galvanic Sacrificial Anode
Galvanic Zinc Application
Zinc Metallizing
Zinc-rich Paints
Hot-dip Galvanizing

 Impressed Current
External source of direct current power is connected (or

impressed) between the structure to be protected and the

ground bed (anode)
Ideal impressed current systems use ground bed material
that can discharge large amounts of current and yet still
have a long life expect

Galvanic Sacrificial Anode

Pieces of an active metal such as magnesium or zinc are
placed in contact with the corrosive environment and are
electrically connected structure to be protected

Galvanic Zinc Application

Zinc Metallizing (plating)
Feeding zinc into a heated gun, where it is melted and sprayed on a

structure or part using combustion gases and/or auxiliary compressed air

Zinc-rich Paints
Zinc-rich paints contain various amounts of metallic zinc dust and are

applied by brush or spray to properly prepared steel

Hot-dip Galvanizing
Complete immersion of steel into a kettle/vessel of molten zinc

 Zinc Metalizing

 Zinc Rich Paints

 Hot Dip Galvanizing

Hot-dip Galvanizing Process

Surface Preparation
Galvanizing
Inspection

Surface Preparation
Zinc-iron metallurgical bond only occurs on clean steel

Degreasing
Removes dirt, oils, organic residue

Pickling
Removes mill scale and oxides

Fluxing
Mild cleaning, provides protective layer

Galvanizing
Steel articles are immersed in a bath of molten zinc (

830 F)
> 98% pure zinc, minor elements added for coating

properties (Al, Bi, Ni)

Zinc reacts with iron in the steel to form galvanized

coating.

Inspection
Steel articles are inspected after galvanizing to verify

conformance to appropriate specs.

Surface defects easily identified through visual inspection.
Coating thickness verified through magnetic thickness

gauge readings.

FIRE PROTECTION OF STEEL

STRUCTURES

There are four common methods of fire protecting

structural steelwork

Board based systems

Intumescent coatings
Sprayed fire protection systems
Concrete encasement or filling

Board based systems

Board based systems are used to form rectangular

encasements around steel members, such as internal

beams and columns. Paint or other finishes can be
applied directly to the boards.
The level of fire resistance achieved depends upon the
type and the thicknesses of the boards used and upon the
method of attachment.

 There are broadly two families of board protection,

lightweight and heavyweight. Lightweight boards are

typically 150-250kg/m and are not usually suitable for
decorative finishes.
They are typically used where aesthetics are not
important and are cheaper than heavyweight equivalents.
Heavyweight boards are usually in the range 700950kg/m and will generally accept decorative finishes.
They are typically used where aesthetics are important.

 Both types of board may be used in limited external

conditions but the advice of the manufacturer should be

sought. Detailed guidance on the installation of board
protection systems is available from the Association for
Specialist Fire Protection

Intumescent coatings

Intumescent coatings may be brushed or sprayed onto

steelwork rather like paint. The materials expand when

subjected to fire and form an insulating foam. Intumescent
coatings can achieve up to 120 minutes fire resistance,
and are used mostly on exposed steelwork.

 Intumescent coatings are paint like materials which are

inert at low temperatures but which provide insulation as a

result of a complex chemical reaction at temperatures
typically of about 200-250C. At these temperatures the
properties of steel will not be affected. As a result of this
reaction they swell and provide an expanded layer of low
conductivity char.

 Intumescent coatings can be divided into two broad

families: thin film and thick film. Thin film materials are
either solvent based or water based and are mainly used
for cellulosic fire conditions. Thick film intumescent
coatings were originally developed for the off-shore and
hydrocarbon industries but have been modified for use in
buildings.

Sprayed fire protection systems

Sprayed fire protection systems are usually based upon

cementitious materials and are applied directly onto the

surface of steelwork. They are generally low cost, but
cannot receive finishes owing to their coarse uneven
texture. Sprayed materials tend to be used where
steelwork is concealed or where appearance is
unimportant. Fire resistance is similar to that of board
based materials.

 Spray protection is extensively used in the United States

but is less common in the United Kingdom. It has the

advantage that it can be used to cover complex shapes
and details and also that costs do not increase
significantly with increases in protection thickness.

 Sprays are not suitable for aesthetic purposes. Also,

application is a wet trade and this may have impacts on

other site operations. Allowance may have to be made in
costing for the possible requirement for prevention of
overspray

Concrete encasement or filling

Structural Hollow Sections (SHS) can be fire protected by

filling with reinforced concrete. Concrete filled structural

hollow sections can achieve 120 minutes fire resistance.
Multi-storey frames requiring 30-60 minutes can have
40% of the floor beams unprotected by following the
recommendations of a special design guide.

 Until the late 1970s, concrete was by far the most

common form of fire protection for structural steelwork.

However the introduction of lightweight, proprietary
systems such as boards, sprays and thin fill intumescent
coatings has seen a dramatic reduction in its use.

 The principal advantage of concrete is durability. It tends

to be used where resistance to impact damage, abrasion

and weather exposure are important e.g. warehouses,
underground car parks and external structures. The
principal disadvantages are:
Cost - compared to lightweight systems;
Space utilisation (large protection thicknesses take up
valuable space around columns)
Weight.

Protection thicknesses
The section factor of a particular steel section is its

surface area per unit length divided by its volume per unit
length (A/V). This parameter defines how quickly a steel
section will heat up when subjected to fire. The section
factor for a member with box protection is lower than that
for a member with profile protection, and hence box
protected steelwork heats up more slowly and requires
less protection.
Typical spray or board thicknesses for a column in a multistorey building are as set out in the table below.

 Typical spray or board thicknesses based on 254UC x 89

kg/m column in a multi-storey building.

Fire resistance(minutes)

Profile Protection(mm)

Box Protection (mm)

30

10

12

60

18

15

90

24

20

120

30

25

THANK YOU AND

MABUHAY!