Analysis of corrosion risk due to chloride diffusion for concrete structures in marine environment

The chloride-induced steel corrosion is one of the main causes of deterioration for reinforced concrete structures exposed to marine environments. The chloride ingress into reinforced concrete structures is even more complex since it depends on random parameters linked to transport and chemical properties of materials, which results in variability of corrosion initiation. This variation raises the need of statistical approaches to evaluate the risk of corrosion initiation due to chloride ingress. To address this issue, we use sensitivity analysis to identify the influence of input parameters on critical length of time before corrosion initiation predicted by our chloride diffusion model. Exceedance probabilities of corrosion initiation time given that input parameters exceed certain thresholds were also calculated. Results showed that the corrosion initiation time was most sensitive to: chloride effective diffusion coefficient D_e in concrete, that is a parameter controllable by relevant stakeholders; surface chloride concentration C_s, a non-controllable parameter depending on surrounding conditions. Reducing the chloride diffusion coefficient enables us to postpone the maintenance of structures. However, the interaction between controllable parameters and non-controllable surrounding conditions was revealed influential on the reliability of results. For instance, the probability that corrosion initiation time exceeds 15 years given an effective diffusion coefficient (D_e) equal to 0.1 × 10⁻¹² m²⋅s-1 can vary from 19 to 41% according to stochastic variations of chloride concentrations (C_s) values. Postponing the corrosion initiation time was combined with a decreasing probability of its occurrence.     

Corrosion of working chains continuously immersed in seawater

Chains used in the offshore industry typically are exposed to continued high rates of corrosion, in part due to the working of the chain not permitting a build up of protective rusts. Herein, a procedure is described for estimating the corrosion loss of low-alloy steel chain under continued immersion corrosion conditions. The procedure is based on extensive recent investigations of the effects of water temperature, salinity, water velocity, and surface roughness on steel corrosion under field conditions. Since the working of the chain does not allow corrosion products (rust) to build up on the critical contact surfaces, erosion due to wear and abrasion can be estimated separately. Two example applications are given.     

Corrosion rate measurements in steel sheet pile walls in a marine environment

Corrosion of steel structures in the marine environment is a major problem. The deterioration of this kind of structures is costly and difficult to predict both when designing new structures and when estimating the remaining service life time for existing structures. The aim of this investigation was to find indicative values for the corrosion rate of steel sheet piles on the Swedish west coast. Such corrosion rates (mm/year) can be used both when designing new structures by oversizing the steel thickness and when estimating the bearing capacity of existing sheet pile structures. Earlier investigations on the corrosion rates along the Swedish east coast – with salinity from about 0.2% to 0.8% – are still used today as guidelines for the corrosion rate of all steel structures in the Swedish maritime environment even though the salinity on the west coast can be as high as 3.0%.Steel sheet pile wharfs located in the port of Halmstad on the Swedish west coast were inspected by ultrasonic measurements. Three wharf structures with a total length of about 700 m were inspected. None of the inspected wharfs had or have had cathodic protection. The thickness measurements of the steel sheet pile structures were performed by divers.The age of the three inspected sheet pile structures ranged from 36 to 51 years. The dimensions of the original sheet pile sections are known. One of the quay structures is located along a river. The salinity at all wharfs varied from low values at the surface to approx. 2% at the bottom (also in the river outflow).The measured average corrosion rates were in the same order as the design values in the European code. However, the results indicate increased corrosion rates about 1 m below the mean water surface and at the level of the propellers from the ships berthing the most frequented of the inspected wharfs, 3–6 m below water surface.The tolerances of steel sheet thicknesses – usually in the order of ±6% – are often neglected when investigating the remaining thickness in steel sheet piles. A simple calculation model shows that the sheet pile must be almost 50 years of age before an accurate estimation on the corrosion rate can be made, considering the tolerances, if the true original sheet pile thickness is not known.     

A computational investigation of the effects of both-sides general corrosion on the buckling/plastic collapse behaviour and strength of stiffened plates

This paper presents the results of an investigation into the post-buckling behaviour and ultimate strength of imperfect corroded stiffened steel plates used in ships and other marine-related structures. A series of elastic–plastic large deflection finite element analyses is performed on stiffened steel plates suffering general corrosion wastage with random distribution. General corrosion is introduced into the finite element models using a random thickness surface model. The effects of corroded stiffened plate parameters on the post-buckling and ultimate strengths are evaluated in detail. The stiffeners of different symmetrical or unsymmetrical cross-sections are introduced into the models for analysis. Some distinctions are explored and highlighted between the behaviours of steel plates suffering general corrosion in unstiffened and stiffened cases. Finally, a proposal is given in order to simulate the average stress–average strain relationship of stiffened steel plates having both-surface general corrosion wastage.     

包覆防护系统在高桩码头钢管桩维护中的设计与应用

结合我国华南地区处于海水环境的某码头工程钢管桩的维护,分析钢管桩的腐蚀特点,对比选择防腐蚀措施,最终在钢管桩腐蚀最严重的浪溅区及水位变动区选用了包覆防护系统设计并进行工程实践论证。有效解决了该区域传统措施防护年限不足的难题,取得优异的防护效果,为类似工程的设计及施工提供参考。     

船舶结构钢海洋环境点蚀模型研究之一:最大点蚀深度时变模型

腐蚀是导致老龄船舶结构失效的主要原因之一.结合基本点蚀原理,本文对碳钢、低合金钢海水全浸带点蚀的主要影响因素、具体点蚀进程做了简要解释与评述.针对我国船舶结构常用碳钢、低合金钢的实海腐蚀试验观测数据建立了新型Weibull函数形式的点蚀最大深度模型.通过对比验证,证明采用Weibull函数表示点蚀最大深度随时间变化关系是合适的.     

碳钢、低合金钢全浸没海洋环境下最大点蚀深度简化模型

腐蚀是导致老龄船舶结构失效的主要原因之一。结合基本点蚀原理,文章对碳钢、低合金钢海水全浸没点蚀的主要影响因素、具体点蚀进程做了简要解释与评述。基于Melchers点蚀深度模型及其相关实验数据,文中提出一种简化形式的新型点蚀最大深度模型,并采用该模型对三组我国船舶结构常用碳钢、低合金钢的青岛海域全浸没点蚀试验观测数据进行分析。通过对比验证,证明采用Weibull函数表示点蚀最大深度随时间变化关系是合适的。此外,依据青岛、厦门、榆林海域碳钢试验数据,文中还对海水环境因素,如:溶解氧浓度、平均温度、盐度、PH值等,以及钢材成分变化对新型最大点蚀深度模型各参数的影响进行了初步探讨,得出了相应的函数关系式及相关结论。     

Strength and deformability of corroded steel plates under quasi-static tensile load

The objective of this study was to estimate the strength and deformability of corroded steel plates under quasi-static uniaxial tension. In order to accurately simulate this problem, we first estimated the true stress–strain relationship of a flat steel plate by introducing a vision sensor system to the deformation measurements in tensile tests. The measured true stress–stain relationship was then applied to a series of nonlinear implicit three-dimensional finite element analyses using commercial code LS-DYNA. The strength and deformability of steel plates with various pit sizes, degrees of pitting intensity, and general corrosion were estimated both experimentally and numerically. The failure strain in relation to the finite element mesh size used in the analyses was clarified. Two different steels having yield ratios of 0.657 and 0.841 were prepared to examine the material effects on corrosion damage. The strength and deformability did not show a clear dependence on the yield ratios of the present two materials, whereas a clear dependence was shown with respect to the surface configuration such as the minimum cross-sectional area of the specimens, the maximum depth of the pit cusp from the mean corrosion diminution level, and pitting patterns. Empirical formulae for the reduction of deformability and the reduction of energy absorption of pitted plates were proposed which may be useful in strength assessment when examining the structural integrity of aged corroded structures.     

海洋与乡村环境中低碳钢大气腐蚀动力学研究（英文）

In continuation of the extensive studies carried out to update the corrosion map of India, in this study, the degradation of mild steel by air pollutants was studied at 16 different locations from Nagore to Ammanichatram along the east coast of Tamilnadu, India over a period of two years. The weight loss study showed that the mild steel corrosion was more at Nagapattinam site, when compared to Ammanichatram and Maravakadu sites. A linear regression analysis of the experimental data was attempted to predict the mechanism of the corrosion. The composition of the corrosion products formed on the mild steel surfaces was identified by XRD technique. The corrosion rate values obtained are discussed in the light of the weathering parameters, atmospheric pollutants such as salt content & SO2 levels in the atmosphere, corrosion products formed on the mild steel surfaces.     

Effect of pitting corrosion on the ultimate strength of steel plates subjected to in-plane compression and bending

Corrosion pits with a circular cone shape are typically observed on coated hold frames of aged bulk carriers which carry exclusively coal and iron ore. In order to ensure the safety of these types of bulk carrier, it is necessary to understand the effect of pitting corrosion on the local strength of hold frames. In order to investigate this effect, a series of nonlinear finite-element (FE) analyses has been performed with pitted plates subjected to in-plane compressive loads and bending moments. It has been shown that the ultimate compression load or bending moment of pitted plates is smaller than that of uniformly corroded plates in terms of average thickness loss, and that predictions of the ultimate strength using the average thickness loss at the minimum cross section would be conservative. In order to establish a method of evaluating strength reduction due to pitting corrosion, it is important to identify the failure mode that would be most detrimentally affected by pitting corrosion. It was found that the reduction of the ultimate compressive load or bending moment due to pitting corrosion is smaller than that of the tensile strength in terms of equivalent thickness.     

Remaining fatigue life assessment of corroded mooring chains using crack growth modelling

Failures caused by the combined actions of fatigue, corrosion and wear are important safety concerns for mooring chains used on floating structures in the oil and gas industry. Prediction of remaining corrosion fatigue life based on surface condition could therefore be a useful tool for the continued safe operation of corroded chains. This paper investigates the use of crack growth modelling for estimating the remaining corrosion fatigue life of mooring chains that exhibit significant pitting corrosion damage. A crack growth modelling approach is used to produce remaining fatigue life estimates for a selection of severely pitted mooring chains. Using fatigue crack growth rate test results for grade R4 high strength mooring chain steel, empirical crack growth laws are presented for free corrosion and cathodic protection conditions at load ratio R = 0.1. Two different methods for establishing equivalent cracks from surface scans of corrosion damage are presented. The mooring chains are proof loaded as part of their manufacturing process. Residual stresses introduced during this process have therefore been determined by finite element analysis and accounted for in the fatigue crack growth predictions. One of the equivalent crack models, accounting for the single dominant corrosion pit, provided quite accurate fatigue life predictions when compared with full scale test results.     

海洋工程钢结构腐蚀防护的研究进展

钢结构在海水中腐蚀损伤具有复杂性和多样性的特点,对其进行研究存在一定的挑战性。针对海洋工程装备的腐蚀问题,对钢结构在海水中的腐蚀机理、防腐寿命预测和评估进行概述。对比涂料防腐技术、金属涂层防腐技术、电化学防腐技术发现:国外有严格的国家环保法规,国内环保立法滞后,尤其涉及到高压低温环境中应用困难。     

Experimental investigation into the effects of air pockets on wave-in-deck loads of offshore structures

In this paper, air entrapment during slamming is an investigation subjected to an experimental method of inquiry, analysed alongside a theoretical approach obtained from previous attempts to address similar matters. The experiment consisted of assembling three different sizes and depths of artificially created pockets underneath the 1:75 deck model of a 76 m × 76 m prototype to encourage air entrapment and study how this entrapped air affects local and global loads. A parametric study is ultimately conducted on the geometry of the pocket, altering area and depth to observe the response to the pressure. Air entrapment effects were observed to reduce the magnitudes of impact pressure inside the pocket while slightly altering the force time histories in x and z-directions. Force magnitudes for global forces are significantly close to the smooth deck results. However, horizontal force data are slightly higher than their corresponding smooth deck due to additional surfaces inside the pocket. In addition, a parametric study of the depth and size of the pocket reveals that pocket depth is the dominant parameter that affects the impact pressure inside a pocket.     

Marine field test for steel reinforcement embedded in mortar: Coupled influence of the environmental conditions on corrosion

This paper studied the environmental conditions and corrosion behaviour of mortar samples at two different marine tidal zones and investigated the correlation among the environmental conditions, corrosion rates, and corrosion products. From the experimental results, the concrete structure damage is a function of numerous correlated factors such as the temperature, humidity, and corrosion products. The chloride penetration rate increased by 15% when the humidity increased by 10% and temperature increased 4 °C. Chloride content is the main factor intensifying the reinforcement corrosion. Although the high temperature, humidity, and chloride concentration aggravate the early corrosion of reinforcement, the role of resultant corrosion products shows more important in the developing stage of corrosion damage. The resultant corrosion products affect further corrosion persistence in a complex way, because in some cases, corrosion products-caused cracks will promote corrosion, while in others, corrosion is reduced by sealing the pores with products.     

Mortality through ontogeny of soft-bottom marine invertebrates with planktonic larvae

The present survey covers one spawning season of marine benthic invertebrates in a large geographical area, the inner Danish waters, and includes a wide range of habitats with steep salinity and nutrient load gradients. The loss ratios of soft-bottom marine invertebrates from one development stage to the next is calculated based on average abundances of pelagic larvae, benthic post-larvae and adults of Bivalvia, Gastropoda, Polychaeta and Echinodermata, with planktonic development. This gives a rough estimate of the larval and post-larval mortality. Loss ratios between post-larvae stage and adult stage (post-larval mortality) varies from 3:1 to 7:1 (71.2–84.9%) and loss ratios between larvae and post-larvae (larval mortality) and between larvae and adult, ranging from 7:1 to 42:1 (85.2–97.6%) and from 45:1 to 210:1 (97.8–99.5%), respectively. The results show a remarkable unity in loss ratios (mortality) between the mollusc taxa (Bivalvia and Gastropoda) at the phylum/class level. This similarity in loss ratios among the mollusc taxa exhibiting the same developmental pathways suggests that the mortality is governed by the same biotic and abiotic factors. Larval mortality is estimated to range from 0.10 d^− 1 to 0.32 d^− 1 for Bivalvia and ranging from 0.09 d^− 1 to 0.23 d^− 1 for Polychaeta. The species loss ratios combined with specific knowledge of the reproduction cycles give estimated loss ratios (mortality) between the post-larvae and the adult stage of 25:1 and 14:1 for the bivalves Abra spp. and Mysella bidentata. For the polychaete Pygospio elegans the loss ratio (larval mortality) between the larvae and the post-larval stage is 154:1 and between the post-larvae and the adult stage 41:1. For Pholoe inornata the loss ratio between post-larvae and adults is 7:1. The present results confirm that the larval stage, metamorphosis and settlement are the critical phase in terms of mortality in the life cycle for Bivalvia. Assuming steady state based on actual measurements of pelagic larval densities an estimated input to the water column of pelagic bivalve larvae is ranging from 10,930 to 17,157 larvae m^− 2 d^− 1 and for Polychaeta between 2544 and 3994 larvae m^− 2 d^− 1. These estimates seem to correspond to the reproductive capacity of the observed adult densities using life-table values from the literature.The potential settlement of post-larvae is 43 post-larvae m^− 2 d^− 1 for Bivalvia and 56 post-larvae m^− 2 d^− 1 for Polychaeta. The adult turnover time for Bivalvia is estimated to be 1.5 years and 2.1 years for Polychaeta. This exemplifies that species with short generation times may dominate in very dynamic transitional zones with a high frequency of catastrophic events like the frequent incidents of hypoxia in the inner Danish waters.     

Hydrothermally degraded carbon fiber / epoxy plates subjected to underwater explosive loading in a fully submerged environment

An experimental and computational investigation was conducted to evaluate the underwater blast response of fully submerged carbon fiber composite plates after prolonged exposure to saline water. The material was a biaxial carbon fiber/epoxy composite with a [±45°] fiber orientation layup. The plates were placed in a saline water bath with a temperature of 65 °C for 35 and 70 days, which simulates approximately 10 and 20 years of operating conditions in accordance to Fick's law of diffusion coupled with Arrhenius's Equation and a reference ocean temperature of 17 °C. Underwater blast experiments were performed in a 2.1 m diameter pressure vessel. The composite plates were placed in the center of the vessel while fully submerged in water, and an RP-85 explosive was detonated at a standoff distance of 102 mm from the center of the plate. Two cases of fluid hydrostatic gage pressures were investigated: 0 MPa, and 3.45 MPa. Two high speed cameras were utilized for three-dimensional Digital Image Correlation, which provided full-field displacements and velocities of the composite plates during underwater blast loading. A third high speed camera captured the behavior of the explosive gas bubble. Moreover, the pressure fields generated by the explosive detonation and resulting gas bubble were recorded with tourmaline pressure transducers. A water diffusion study was completed which showed that the diffusion of water into the composites reached a point of complete saturation after 35 days of exposure. Quasi-static material characterization tests were performed before and after prolonged exposure to saline water. The properties obtained from quasi-static testing also served as material inputs for the numerical models. The quasi-static test results showed that the tensile modulus E_1,2 does not change with exposure to saline water, whereas the in-plane shear modulus G₁₂ decreases with saline water exposure. During blast loading, for the case of 0 MPa hydrostatic gage pressure, the gas bubble interacts with the composite plate substantially. In such an event, the out of plane displacement increased for saline water exposed plates when compared to virgin structures. For the case of 3.45 MPa hydrostatic gage pressure, the gas bubble does not visibly interact with the composite plate. In this case, the out of plane displacement for specimens exposed to saline water was similar to the virgin specimen. A fully coupled Eulerian–Lagrangian fluid structure interaction simulation was performed by using the DYSMAS code. The numerical simulations showed that the displacement of fully submerged composite plates is driven by the displacement of fluid, as well as the size of the gas bubble formed by the explosive rather than the peak pressure generated by the explosive. The numerical simulations were in agreement with the experimental findings in terms of pressure history and plate deformation.     

Welding-induced residual stresses and distortions of butt-welded corroded and intact plates

The welding-induced residual stresses and distortions of butt-welds between non-corroded and corroded steel plates are studied experimentally and numerically, simulating a repair in an aged structure. Butt welds are made between plates with different corrosion levels and intact ones, and temperature distributions and distortions have been measured. Finite element analyses of the butt-welded corroded and non-corroded plates are performed to estimate the welding-induced distortions and residual stresses for different levels of corrosion degradation. The environmental conditions during the welding repair process are also accounted for. Experimentally evaluated mechanical properties of corroded steel plates as a function of the temperature during the welding process are employed in non-linear finite element analyses. The importance of the material properties as a function of the severity of the steel plates' corrosion degradation on the welding-induced distortions and residual stresses is also quantified. This study shows the importance of considering the ageing of steel in the repair process. The developed methodology allows critical operational decisions to be made with greater ease and confidence in analysing the welding-induced distortions and residual stresses when ageing structures are repaired to extend their service life. Furthermore, different welding sequence scenarios may be analysed to identify the most appropriate repair solution in minimising the repair cost.     

Strain rate sensitive steel constitutive models for finite element analysis of vessel-structure impacts

Civil infrastructure systems such as bridge piers, navigational guide walls, and protection structures that are located near navigable waterways are inherently at risk for being impacted by cargo vessels such as barges and ships. To safely design such systems to possess adequate vessel impact resistance, structural loads associated with potential vessel-structure collision conditions must be quantified in a conservative manner. While high-resolution finite element impact simulations may be employed to compute such loads, care must be exercised in defining the material characteristics of the vessel if conservative structural design loads are to be obtained. Importantly, constitutive relationships assigned to steel components in the vessel model must be capable of accounting for strain rate sensitivities and large-scale plastic deformations.In the present study, strain rate sensitive constitutive models were developed for two types of steel commonly utilized in marine construction in the United States—ASTM A36 and ASTM A1011. Tension tests were conducted over a wide range of strain rates (7.00 × 10⁻⁵ s⁻¹ – 250 s⁻¹) spanning from quasi-static to intermediate and high rates that are typically associated with vessel-structure impact events. A novel testing apparatus—employing an impact pendulum as an energy supply mechanism—was designed for this study to conduct intermediate to high-rate material testing. Features of the apparatus, discussed in this paper, overcome key problems encountered in other studies that have employed impact loading for tensile material testing. From the testing program, representative stress–strain relations and Cowper–Symonds strain rate sensitivity parameters were developed for the materials tested. Rate sensitivities of the two steel grades tested were found to be very similar to each other. Additionally, rate sensitivities from the present study agreed well with ultimate stress data measured in past studies of mild steel, but were found to be less rate-sensitive than yield stress data measured in past studies.     

耐蚀金属复合材料在海洋环境中应用的可行性研究

以不锈钢/碳钢金属复合材料为例,探讨耐蚀金属复合材料在海洋环境中长期使用的可行性。结果表明,耐蚀金属复合材料在海洋大气区和浪溅区时具有良好的耐蚀性,使用效果显著;但当耐蚀金属复合材料在水位变动区使用时,必须采取有效措施(如阴极保护)消除复合材料基材与复材之间电偶腐蚀,以保证复合材料在该区域的使用效果。     

Compressive strength of tubular members with localized pitting damage considering variation of corrosion features

Localized pitting corrosion often occurs on marine and offshore structures in the form of patch corrosion with great uncertainties in the location, size and shape. The variation of corrosion features affects ultimate strength of tubular members significantly, but it is still not well understood. This paper presents a numerical study on tubular members of diverse slenderness ratios to clarify the localized pitting effect on ultimate strength. Numerical analyses were performed based on novel models of pitted members that were calibrated against benchmark column tests. Corrosion pits were randomly introduced on the local outside surfaces of members via stochastic simulation, forming corrosion patches varied in the location, size and shape. Numerical results obtained were regressed to propose a unified empirical formula to predict ultimate strength. It turned out that the shape of the corrosion patch has a significant influence on the ultimate strength. The shape change of the patch can alter failure modes of medium length columns. The reduction of ultimate strength is closely related to the shape ratio of the patch besides the volume loss of corroded material. The unified empirical formula incorporating the shape ratio and the volume loss shows a good ability to predict the experimental results.