Corrosion Performance of Buried Corrugated Galvanized Steel under Accelerated Wetting/Drying Cyclic Corrosion Test

Rehabilitation of corroded buried galvanized steel structures, including corrugated metal culverts (CMCs) and pipes (CMPs), requires a deep understanding of the corrosion process and the corresponding deterioration. The current paper describes an accelerated laboratory corrosion test of corrugated galvanized steel coupons exposed to sequenced wetting/drying cycles ranging from 50 and up to 1600 cycles. The analysis demonstrates the influence of applying an increased number of wetting/drying cycles on the acceleration of the developed corrosion in the buried galvanized steel coupons. The study examines changes in the steel geometry represented by thickness loss and the accompanied deterioration of the mechanical properties such as tensile strength, hardness, and ductility over relatively short periods of time. It was observed that corrosion was insignificant as long as the zinc coating of the galvanized steel lasted. However, when the zinc was almost fully depleted, the bare steel was directly subjected to the surrounding corrosive environment, causing greater corrosion damage during subsequent wetting/drying cycles. Based on four standard mathematical models, the paper also presents approximate average corrosion predictions for bare steel in the galvanized coupons, to assess the impact of potential damage due to corrosion and determine essential rehabilitation measures.