Corrosion resistance of steel bridge wires coated with Aluminium-Zinc alloy

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Nakamura, S. | Miyachi, K. | Jarwali, T. | Suzumura, K.

Affiliations: Civil Engineering Department, Tokai University, Tokai, Japan | Graduate School of Engineering, Tokai University, Tokai, Japan | Nippon Steel and Sumikin Engineering Co., Japan

Note: [] Corresponding author. S. Nakamura, Professor, Civil Engineering Department, Tokai University, Tokai, Japan. Tel.: +81 463 58 1211; Fax: +81 463 50 2045; E-mail: snakamu@keyaki.cc.u-tokai.ac.jp

Abstract: A new technology has been developed for high strength bridge wires: steel wires are coated with aluminium (Al) and zinc (Zn) alloy. It is expected that the bridge wires coated with Al-Zn have better corrosion resistance than the Zn coated ones. The steel wire with a diameter of 5 mm coated with Al (10%) and Zn alloy is produced and corrosion acceleration tests have been conducted. The steel wires are kept under three different corrosion environments: kept at a relative humidity (RH) of 60%, at a RH of 100%, and wrapped with wet gauze (wet condition). The wire specimens are kept in the thermo-hygrostat at 40°C for five months. The mass loss due to corrosion under RH = 60% and 100% is much smaller than that wet condition. The mass loss of the Al-Zn coated wires under the wet condition shows much smaller than that of Zn coated wires.

Keywords: Bridge cables, corrosion, Al-Zn alloy galvanized wire

DOI: 10.3233/BRS-140069

Journal: Bridge Structures, vol. 10, no. 1, pp. 3-10, 2014