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Joint Project Will Address ALWC
01 Apr 2004
A new form of aggressive, localised corrosion that has occurred in unprotected marine structures constructed from steel over the past 20 years or so is to be the subject of a new research project led by the Construction Industry Research Association (CIRIA).
The corrosion, which affects structures at or around the low water level, is called Accelerated Low Water Corrosion (ALWC), Lowest Astronomical Tide (LAT) corrosion or concentrated corrosion. If left untreated, it causes premature perforation of the steel resulting in unexpected and often expensive remedial works and has the potential to cause catastrophic failure of quays and other structures.
The ICE Maritime Board predict that the major repair cost on existing structures, quays, sea defences will be in excess of £250m to save structures with capital values in billions of pounds.
Although the recent revision of BS6349 Part 1 on maritime structures warns designers about ALWC, it does not provide guidance on mitigating against this corrosion within the design of structures. Guidance needs to be formulated now for repairs to be carried out efficiently and effectively over the coming years, at minimum cost. The ICE Maritime Board has identified ALWC as a national priority area for research and has called for a conclusion to its original survey on ALWC (2001) and guidance on this phenomenon. Although documentation exists and research has been carried out on ALWC, there is currently no complete or user-friendly guidance on the identification and repair of ALWC affected structures. This project aims to address this issue.
CIRIA’s new project, Management of Accelerated Low Water Corrosion in Steel Marine Structures (RP693), will produce a state-of-the-art guidance document, aimed specifically at filling the existing information void. It will also provide design engineers with definitive guidance on the design of new, and the restoration of existing structures, and enable contractors to price and carry out well designed schemes.
There will be three main project outputs: a comprehensive, consensus-derived guidance document; a free synopsis of the guidance, available via the ICE and John Martin web sites; and a series of dissemination and launch workshops held around the UK in association with the ICE Maritime Board.
Information is now urgently being sought from owners/ operators, designers and contractors in the form of a questionnaire, which also includes a description on how to identify ALWC for those unfamiliar with the problem. Organisations are invited to contribute to the preparation of this important guidance document, which will ultimately be of value to all those involved with steel marine structures.
To download the questionnaire, or for further information about this project, visit www.ciria.org/ alwc or contact CIRIA, Classic House, 174-180 Old Street, House, 174-180 Old Street, London EC1V 9BP. (T) 020 7549 3300; (F) 020 7253 0523; (E) enquiries@ciria.org
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