Accelerated Degradation Test on Coating Materials for Steel Pipes

Between 2015 and 2016, as part of a study assessing the Ohio Department of Transportation's conduit service life prediction methodology, a team of researchers from Ohio University evaluated the resistance to abrasion of different coating materials, used to extend the service life of corrugated steel pipes (CSP). Specimens of polymeric coated, bituminous coated, aluminized, and galvanized steel plates were subjected to an accelerated degradation test. The test was performed based on the ASTM A926-03(2014) standard, using a variation proposed to overcome its limited industry use due to limited availability of the required equipment. The variation consisted on using a modified Los Angeles abrasion machine instead of the unavailable machine required by the standard. Although the mentioned limitation led to the standard being withdrawn from the ASTM later in 2016; the modified equipment used in this study produced results that suggests it could be an alternative method for any research group in the industry wanting to evaluate the resistance of protective coatings used on CSP. In this test, the polymeric coating proved to be the most durable treatment, followed in order by bituminous coating, aluminized coating, and galvanized coating.