Corrosion damage assessment and monitoring of large steel space structures

Abstract

Large steel space structures, when exposed to a harsh corrosive environment, are inevitably subjected to atmospheric corrosion and stress corrosion cracking. This paper proposes a framework for assessing the corrosion damage of large steel space structures subjected to both stress corrosion cracking and atmospheric corrosion. The empirical model for estimating atmospheric corrosion based on measured information is briefly introduced. The proposed framework is applied to a real large steel space structure built in the southern coastal area in China to assess its corrosion damage and investigate the effects of atmospheric corrosion on stress corrosion cracking. Based on the results, the conceptual design of the corrosion monitoring system of large steel space structures is finally conducted as the first step for a real corrosion monitoring system.

Keywords

large steel space structure / atmospheric corrosion / stress corrosion cracking / corrosion damage / damage assessment / monitoring system