Details:

Creators:
Clarke, Wade M. ; Krauss, Paul D. ; Lawler, John S.
Clarke, Wade M. ; Krauss, Paul D. ; Lawler, John S. Less -
Corporate Creators:
Wiss, Janney, Elstner, and Associates
Subject/TRT Terms:
[+]
Anticorrosion Coatings Bridge Abutments Cathodic Protection Field Tests Laboratory Tests Piles (Supports) Steel Surface Preparation
Publication/ Report Number:
TR-622
Resource Type:
Tech Report
Geographical Coverage:
Iowa
Corporate Publisher:
Iowa. Dept. of Transportation ; Iowa. Highway Research Board
Iowa. Dept. of Transportation ; Iowa. Highway Research Board Less -
Abstract:
Soil consolidation and erosion caused by roadway runoff have exposed the upper portions of steel piles at the abutments of

numerous bridges, leaving them susceptible to accelerated corrosion rates due to the abundance of moisture, oxygen, and

chlorides at these locations. This problem is compounded by the relative inaccessibility of abutment piles for close-up inspection

and repair. The objective of this study was to provide bridge owners with recommendations for effective methods of addressing

corrosion of steel abutment piles in existing and future bridges

A review of available literature on the performance and protection of steel piles exposed to a variety of environments was

performed. Eight potential coating systems for use in protecting existing and/or new piles were selected and subjected to

accelerated corrosion conditions in the laboratory. Two surface preparation methods were evaluated in the field and three

coating systems were installed on three piles at an existing bridge where abutment piles had been exposed by erosion. In

addition, a passive cathodic protection (CP) system using sacrificial zinc anodes was tested in the laboratory. Several trial

flowable mortar mixes were evaluated for use in conjunction with the CP system.

For existing abutment piles, application of a protective coating system is a promising method of mitigating corrosion. Based on

its excellent performance in accelerated corrosion conditions in the laboratory on steel test specimens with SSPC-SP3, -SP6, and

-SP10 surface preparations, glass flake polyester is recommended for use on existing piles. An alternative is epoxy over organic

zinc rich primer. Surface preparation of existing piles should include abrasive blast cleaning to SSPC-SP6. Although additional

field testing is needed, based on the results of the laboratory testing, a passive CP system could provide an effective means of

protecting piles in existing bridges when combined with a pumped mortar used to fill voids between the abutment footing and

soil. The addition of a corrosion inhibitor to the mortar appears to be beneficial.

For new construction, shop application of thermally sprayed aluminum or glass flake polyester to the upper portion of the piles is

recommended.


Format:
PDF
Collection(s):
US Transportation Collection
Main Document Checksum:
[+]
urn:sha256:96c70df50931c637638b041f600225e54de31a06627770606c2de8ba2e1b83f7
Download URL:
https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/29592/dot_29592_DS1.pdf
File Type:

Supporting Files

• No Additional Files

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