Corrosion protection of limited access areas common to bridge structural steel design

摘要

Like other bridge owners, the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey has long realised the difficulty in providing corrosion protection of back to back angles and other structural designs with limited accessibility. The bridge industry has reduced, to some extent, the use of these types of designs for new construction. However, the number of existing bridge structures containing back-to-back angles is extensive, and these structures will require repeated maintenance of the existing coating systems during the service life of the structures. Reduced corrosion protection and section loss of these members are common. These failures are likely due to the inability of the painting contractor to adequately prepare and coat these surfaces in the field.