This article provides a basic overview of bridge corrosion, where it occurs on steel and concrete bridge structures, and how to prevent corrosion by using coatings. It describes types of bridge designs, with illustrations, and presents information on how corrosion occurs in different bridge zones and areas, with illustrations. The article concludes with a discussion on the common methods of coating systems applications on bridge structures and key elements in coating condition assessment.

Portland cement concrete has low environmental impact, versatility, durability, and economy, which make it the most abundant construction material in the world. This article details the types and causes of concrete degradation. Concrete can be degraded by corrosion of reinforcing steel and other embedded metals, chlorides, carbonation, galvanic corrosion, chemical attack, alkali-aggregate reaction, abrasion, erosion, and cavitation as well as many other factors. The article addresses the durability of concrete by two approaches, namely, the prescriptive approach and the performance approach. In the former, designers specify materials, proportions, and construction methods based on fundamental principles and practices that exhibit satisfactory performance. In the latter, designers identify functional requirements such as strength, durability, and volume changes and rely on concrete producers and contractors to develop concrete mixtures to meet those requirements.

This article discusses the environmental factors and kinetics of atmospheric corrosion, aqueous corrosion, and soil corrosion of carbon steels. It also provides information on corrosion in concrete and steel boilers.

Bridges and highways are core components of transportation system and range from pavements with earth, gravel, or stone covered by a thin bituminous surface course to a continually reinforced Portland cement concrete (PCC) roadway with or without a bituminous wear course. This article provides information on bridges and dowels and the reinforcement used in PCC roadways that suffer from corrosion. An overview is provided on the rise in awareness of the corrosion issues affecting bridges and highways. The chemistry and structure of concrete and its role as an electrolyte in promoting corrosion are also discussed. The article addresses reinforcement, including conventional, prestressed, cable stays, and corrosion-resistant reinforcement. It deals with the electrochemical methods for the inspection and corrosion control of embedded reinforcement. The article also reviews the corrosion of metal bridges and corrosion control, including the use of weathering steels and coating systems.

This article discusses the generic situation of steel reacting with the environments found in structures. Two environments are specifically discussed: atmospheric and cementitious. The article describes the utility of different corrosion protection methods for atmospheric corrosion and cementitious systems. It presents examples of problems that have arisen in the corrosion performance of steel.

Inorganic chemical-setting ceramic linings are one of the most widely used construction materials in designing the protective linings for industrial installations. Monolithic linings can be applied by cast or gunite (shotcreting) methods over steel or concrete as well as brick and mortar masonry. This article provides a discussion on the function of monolithic linings, the advantages of these materials, the types of applications in which these materials can be successfully used, and the limitations of these linings. It describes the application procedures that should be followed to ensure proper installation of a dual-lining system. The industrial applications that illustrate the corrosion resistance and some uses of monolithic linings, as well as other applications in wastewater treatment systems and the chemical industry, are discussed.

This article provides information on the municipal wastewater system components such as piping, pump stations, headworks, clarifiers, aeration structures, digesters, biosolids dewatering equipment, and sludge stabilization. It explains the major corrosion damage mechanisms to which those component parts of the system are exposed. It presents useful guidelines for selecting and using protective coatings in municipal sewerage collection systems and water reclamation facilities in wastewater treatment plants. The article includes annotated flow diagrams of a wastewater collection system, wastewater treatment plants, and spreadsheets listing the most widely used generic coating systems by structure and substrate material. It concludes with a section on quality watchouts when selecting or using protective coatings in municipal wastewater systems.

This article presents information regarding the use of protective coatings in municipal potable water systems, including raw water collection and transmission, water treatment plants, and treated water distribution. It provides useful guidance for the selection and use of protective coatings in these municipal water systems. The most commonplace corrosion-damage mechanisms are highlighted. The article describes the most common materials of construction found in municipal water systems, namely, cast iron, ductile iron, carbon steel, precast concrete cylinder pipe and reinforced concrete pipe, prestressed concrete tanks, and stainless steel. It provides information on the most common generic coating systems used for new steel tanks and water storage tanks. It concludes with a discussion of quality watch-outs when selecting or using protective coatings in municipal water systems.

This article provides information on predesign surveys and the various testing procedures associated with wastewater treatment plants. These include soil testing, atmospheric testing, and hydrogen sulfide testing. The primary parameters that influence the production of sulfides within the piping system that transports the wastewater to the treatment facility are discussed. The article describes the corrosion performance of various materials in the soil, fluid, and atmospheric exposures. These include concrete, steel, ductile iron, aluminum, copper, brass, stainless steel, and coatings used for wastewater facilities.

This article presents a brief description of the fundamental characteristics of concrete and its constituents for understanding concrete fracture surfaces. It discusses the following two types of fractures: fractures induced in the laboratory and existing (service) fractures. The article provides a discussion on how existing crack surfaces differ from induced fractures: color, hardness, luster, depth of carbonation, deposits on crack surfaces, and propagation around or through aggregates.