It is appropriate, I think, to begin the year with Infrastructure Corrosion as our editorial theme. Our infrastructure is a vital part of our everyday existence, for without it, we would just not be able to function. It comprises many structures that we tend to take for granted. Where would we be, however, without our underground utility networks such as gas, water and sewer, electricity, and telephone? Highways and bridges that make up so much of our transportation network are vital to our commerce, pleasure, and defense. How would we function without generating and industrial plants, seaports, and storage facilities for fuels and other hazardous materials? We all know the infrastructure is aging. Much of its deterioration is caused by corrosion, and that is where we all fit in. In its 2002 report on the direct cost of corrosion in the U.S.,1 the U.S. Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) estimated that the amount attributable to the infrastructure was 22.6 billion dollars. It also estimated that 20 to 30 percent of that cost could be saved through optimum corrosion management practices.
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