Hazard and risk assessment for structures suffering from corrosion losses is a subject that demands precision in order to mitigate safety concerns. Therefore, engineers ought to develop practical methods of assessing the severity of corrosive damage. This paper analyzed marine corrosion of steel in the marine splash zone (MSZ) as defined in [1], and developed a model in Visual Analysis simulating the effects of corrosion on a pier structure. Gradual corrosion was modeled using uniform diameter losses in sections of supporting columns to simulate the corrosive environment of the MSZ. Loss of residual strength was estimated using output values of extreme absolute stress in the MSZ. Results, as expected, coincided with other research correlating corrosion and decreases in both residual strength and service life. However, the experiment emphasized the structural significance of the MSZ in relation to marine corrosion and contributions to failure conditions. Additionally, the results of this study may be used to coordinate timely servicing or replacement of structures suffering from excessive corrosive damage.

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Breanna Bailey

Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering