Improved Corrosion-Resistant Steel For Highway Bridge Construction Knowledge-Based Design: [techbrief]

2009Distribution number: HRDI-10/08-09(web)EPDFTech ReportFHWA-HRT-09-053Corrosion resistant materialsHighway bridgesBridge designCorrosion resistanceUnited StatesUnited States. Federal Highway Administration. Office of Research, Development, and TechnologyUnited States. Federal Highway Administration. Office of Research, Development, and TechnologyNorthwestern University (Evanston, Ill.). Dept. of Materials Science and EngineeringTurner-Fairbank Highway Research CenterVirmani, Y. PaulFederal Highway AdministrationThe use of weathering steels for construction of new highway bridges has recently increased significantly. These steels provide construction cost savings of more than 10 percent because there is no need to paint the steel, as unpainted steel is easier to install and handle. In addition, the life-cycle cost savings are more than 30 percent because weathering steels require less maintenance and are more durable than common construction steels. Also, use of weathering steels provides significant environmental benefits because there are no volatile organic compounds (VOC) from paints, and there is no need for removal or disposal of contaminated blast debris over the life span of the structure. However, the current weathering steels are not considered adequate for marine and other high saline environments. The objective of this project was to point out new directions for the development of low-cost steels with much better weathering characteristics than those of currently used weathering steels.75