The impact of exploitation and environmental factors on the degradation of steel road safety equipment

Institute of Precision Mechanics, Department of Corrosion&Anticorrosion Technologies, 3 Duchnicka St. 01-796 Warsaw, Poland.

^* Corresponding author: asia@imp.edu.pl

Abstract

The work is aimed at determining the corrosivity of atmosphere in the vicinity of roads, taking into account the characteristics of local emission sources, including traffic intensity of vehicles along with climatic and exploitation factors. Determination of the corrosivity of atmosphere was carried out according to the procedures described in PN EN ISO standards. Samples for testing were made of low carbon steel DC05, zinc and hot dip galvanized steel. Samples were assembled at 19 sites in the close vicinity of roads and highways near the measurement points of vehicle traffic intensity. The mass loss of exposed samples was the basis for determination the atmosphere corrosivity at each of 19 test sites. Regarding steel, the corrosivity category of C4 was observed at 8/19 sites. Corrosion losses outside roads are 2-4 times lower and ranged within the categories of C2 and C3. Zinc corrosion losses classified to category C4 occurred at 2/19 stations. In the remaining ones they corresponded to category C3. In areas outside of roads, zinc corrosion losses are about 20-100% lower (C2). The first attempts to model the dependence of operating and environmental parameters on zinc and zinc coating corrosion losses indicate significant correlation between zinc and zinc coating corrosion losses as a function.