Life Extension of Steel Structures by Corrosion

Prevention Technology
―Especially Port and Harbor Steel Structures―

Dr. Hidenori HAMADA

Professor of Kyushu University

HIDENORI HAMADA is a Professor of Kyushu University. He received Doctor

of engineering degree from Kyushu University in 1998. He has been engaged in
Concrete Technology and Corrosion Engineering for about 25 years.

KYUSHU UNIVERSITY
744, Motooka, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka city, Japan.
Tel: 81-92-802-3390, or, 3387
Fax: 81-92-802-3387
E-mail: [email protected]

Abstract
This paper discusses corrosion-protection technologies applied to port and
harbor steel structures. The history of corrosion-protection technologies in Japan
extends back more than 50 years, and includes a diverse array of surveys and research.
As a result, these technologies have developed to the remarkable level where protection
against the corrosion of port and harbor steel structures is nearly complete.
The conditions affecting the application of corrosion-protection technologies
will differ from country to country, so the methods used will differ accordingly. But, it is
believed that the diversity of experience acquired in this field in Japan will also be of
use in Vietnam and Indonesia. I believe that this paper will undoubtedly contribute to
the development of appropriate corrosion-protection technologies for steel structures in
Vietnam and Indonesia.

1. Port and Harbor Steel Structures in Japan

1.1 History
The first steel harbor structure built in Japan was a pier constructed using
steel screw piles in the Port of Kobe in 1876. After that, piers using steel screw piles
were successively constructed at the Ports of Yokohama, Nagoya, Osaka, and Tsuruga.
In the last part of the Taisho era (1912~1926), steel sheet piles were imported
to restore damage caused by the Great Kanto Earthquake. Initially, because of concerns

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about corrosion, steel products were only applied in temporary construction. But steel
products became increasingly common in the construction of more permanent
structures due to the advantages they offered with regard to ease of construction and
shorter construction period. The first steel sheet pile-type mooring quay was
constructed in 1926 at the Port of Osaka.
Entering the Showa period (1926~1989), imports of steel sheet piles increased,
initially totaling 25,000~35,000 tons annually. Then in 1929, trial manufacture of steel
sheet piles started at the government-run Yawata Steel Works, and full production
started in 1930. It was a harbor facility completed in 1931 at the Port of Miyako that
domestically-produced steel sheet piles were first applied. Other major ports and
harbors where steel sheet pile mooring quays were constructed in the early Showa
period were those of Osaka, Nagoya, Fushiki, Hakodate, and Rumoi.
In the post-war period, steel pipe piles were extensively used for port and
harbor facilities. The application of these piles in pier foundation structures was
expanded following their use in the construction of Shiogama Port in 1954.
The first cell-type mooring quay using flat steel sheet piles was constructed at
the Port of Shiogama (commencement: 1954; completion: 1959). This type of quay was
then constructed at the Ports of Tobata, Nagoya, Naoetsu, Aomori, Yokohama, and
elsewhere.
In the same period, the steel plate cell method was developed whereby steel
plates, instead of flat steel sheet piles, are formed into circular shapes and the cells thus
completed are installed at the work site. This cell method was first applied at the Port of
Kobe in 1957.
Entering the 1960s, the pressing task was to improve port and harbor facilities
so that they could handle the increasing amount of loading/unloading cargoes. To meet
this need, steel pile pier methods were developed and were increasingly used to build
large-capacity mooring quays in many ports and harbors. Typical were both the
Yamashita pier at the Port of Yokohama and the Maya pier at the Port of Kobe. Owing
to the successful application of this type of pier at both ports, steel structures were
extensively used to build port and harbor facilities throughout the nation.
Recently, in order to meet the need for rapid construction and for construction
on soft ground, jacket-type steel structures are increasingly being adopted for port and
harbor facilities. Typical of these are the Ooi container berth and the new D-Runway
being constructed at Tokyo International Airport.
As stated above, port and harbor steel structures in Japan have shown
remarkable development, and these structures now account for nearly a half of the
nation’s total mooring quays constructed.

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 1.2 Features of Port and Harbor Steel Structures
Currently, nearly a half of the mooring quays in Japan are constructed using
steel products. This is rare worldwide and a feature peculiar to Japan. In particular,
while concrete piles are used for pier construction overseas, mostly steel pipe piles are
used in Japan.
A couple of major reasons for the greater use of steel products in Japan are the
development of the Japanese steel industry as a core element in the country’s rapid
economic development in the 1960s and the resulting supply of steel products in large
quantities and at low cost. Another economic advantage that can be cited for the wider
use of steel products is the rich array of shapes and dimensions that are available,
which in turn makes it easy to select steel products conforming to any design conditions.
Further enhancing their wider use are the high strength and uniform quality of steel
products as structural members.
Meanwhile, the frequent presence of soft ground at port and harbor sites is
cited as conducive to the wide use of steel products in Japan. While gravity-type
structures require a rigid foundation, steel structures can mitigate the effect of soft
upper ground strata by driving steel piles to an underlying support stratum. In addition,
steel sheet pile structures can be built at sites with bad ground conditions and, in
general, have shorter construction terms than concrete structures.
In particular, because Japan’s rapid economic development beginning in the
1960s demanded that port and harbor facilities be quickly improved, the possibility of
rapid construction was an additional reason for the enthusiastic adoption of steel
structures. The total extent of mooring quays employing steel structures has reached
490 km.
At the Port of Tokyo, the ratio of steel structures to total port and harbor
facilities (including breakwaters and wave-removal banks) has rapidly grown. Of the
total extension of 200 km or more of port and harbor facilities, steel structure facilities
have surpassed 150 km.

1.3 Typical Port and Harbor Steel Structures

Among the mooring quays that use steel products as structural members, two
kinds have been adopted—steel sheet pile-type quays and pier-type quays.

(1) Steel Sheet Pile-type Quays

Steel sheet pile-type mooring quays are constructed by driving steel sheet piles
into the ground to form an earth-retaining wall (see Fig. 1). The most common steel
sheet pile-type mooring quay is formed using tie rods to connect the steel sheet pile wall

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to a strut structure (steel pipe, steel sheet pile, shape, etc.) installed behind the wall.
Depending on the size of the load to be supported, two kinds of piles are used for the pile
wall—commonly adopted U-type steel sheet piles and steel pipe piles having connection
joints. In cases when a small load is applied, as in ports with shallow water depth, a
self-supporting wall structure is adopted without the use of a strut structure and tie
rods.
Even when using steel sheet piles or steel pipe piles, the front surface of the
pile wall is subjected to harsh corrosive environments because these piles are directly
exposed to seawater or to the marine environment. While there are cases in which the
steel products used for back surface of the pile wall, the tie rods, and the strut structure
are directly exposed to the external environment, the corrosive effect is not so severe.
When pits form on the steel pile wall due to corrosion, sand from behind the
wall flows out through these pits, causing a very dangerous situation for the quay
structure. Even when pits do not form, it is strongly believed that the structure will
suffer a reduction in structural strength due to sectional defect.

Fig. 1 Typical Structure of Steel Sheet Pile-type Mooring Quay

(2) Pier-type Mooring Quays

Pier-type mooring quays are structured by placing the upper structure on
columnar structural members. There are two types of these quays—mooring quays in
which vessels can moor on both sides and the mooring quays (shore bridge type) with
mooring on one side only. In Japan, the shore bridge-type mooring quay is widely
adopted. The pier-type quay, represented by the shore bridge quay, consists of a pier
located at the front of the quay and an earth-retaining structure to the rear, with steel
products widely used for the front pier. In Japan where earthquakes having large

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seismic force occur, steel pipe piles are used as the columnar structures of most piers.
(See Fig. 2)
On the other hand, reinforced concrete or precast concrete beams and floor
slabs are installed on the upper structure. The pier and the earth-retaining wall to the
rear of the pier are structurally independent and are thus provided with a gangway
footplate to facilitate smooth vehicular traffic between them. Accordingly, in most cases
during an earthquake, the bending moment reaches maximum level at the joints where
the pile heads connect to the upper structure.
When lower-structure performance is lost due to corrosion of the steel pipe
piles, the feasibility of collapse exists for the quay structure not only during
earthquakes but also in a state of constant vertical loading. Among port and harbor
facilities, the concrete upper structure is the site where structural deterioration due to
salt damage most frequently occurs.

Fig. 2 Typical Structure of Steel Pipe Pile-type Mooring Quay

2. Features of Corrosion in Marine Environments

The environment where port and harbor steel structures are applied is roughly
classified into five zones, starting at the top and going down: atmospheric zone, splash
zone, tidal zone, submerged zone, and mud zone. In cases where long steel products
such as steel sheet piles and steel pipe piles extend through multiple environments
(tidal zone, submerged zone, and mud zone), macro-cell corrosion attributable to
differences in these application environments occurs. The area where problems arise
regarding the corrosion of steel structures used without corrosion-protection measures
is the vicinity just beneath the splash zone and the mean low water level (hereinafter
referred to as M.L.W.L.).

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 Corrosion tendencies by corrosive environment are introduced below (Fig. 3):

Fig. 3 Representative Examples for Vertical-direction

Corrosion Rate of Steel Pipe and Sheet Piles

i) Atmospheric zone
In most cases, because common piers and steel sheet pile mooring quays are
covered with a concrete upper structure, steel products in this zone are seldom exposed
directly to the atmosphere. Further, the corrosion rate (corrosion loss) for such
structures is mostly around 0.1 mm/y.

ii) Splash zone

Because the splash zone is constantly subjected to splashing seawater, great
amounts of both seawater and oxygen are supplied. Additionally, any layer of rust on
the surface of the steel peels away due to wave impact. Accordingly, the splash zone is
the most corrosive environment. In general, corrosion rate in this zone reaches the high
level of 0.3 mm/y. According to surveys made in the Okinawa area, there are examples of
corrosion rate reaching 0.5~0.6 mm/y due to the additional effect of high temperatures
and humidity in that area.

iii) Tidal zone

The tidal zone is where structures undergo periodic immersion into seawater
and exposure to the atmosphere due to tidal action. It is notable in this zone that, while
corrosion rate in the vicinity of the mean seawater level (hereinafter referred to as
M.S.L.) is small, corrosion rate in the vicinity just beneath the M.L.W.L. is extremely
large. The reason for this is that a macro-cell is formed in which the area of the M.S.L.
becomes the cathode (high dissolved oxygen concentration) and the vicinity just beneath

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the M.L.W.L. becomes the anode (low dissolved oxygen concentration). There are cases,
depending on the circumstances, when corrosion rate in the vicinity just beneath the
M.L.W.L. exceeds that in the splash zone. This phenomenon is called “concentrated
corrosion.”
When concentrated corrosion occurs and further develops without corrective
action in steel pipe sheet pile structures or in steel pipe pile sheet pile structures, there
are cases in which the extent of the corrosion is great enough to cause structural
collapse. In steel pile sheet pile structures, pits form in the protruding sections of the
piles due to concentrated corrosion in the vicinity just beneath the M.L.W.L., and
because the back-filled sand flows out through these pits, the area behind the sheet
piles is hollowed out. In steel pipe pile structures, the wall thickness of the pipe piles
rapidly decreases due to concentrated corrosion in the vicinity just beneath the
M.L.W.L., and the seel pipe pile structure causes buckling due to the occurrence of pits.
As a result, there are cases in which the upper structure causes subsidence.

iv) Submerged and mud zones

Corrosion in the submerged zone is nearly uniform, aside from the section just
beneath the M.L.W.L. where extensive concentrated corrosion occurs. According to the
survey results, corrosion rate at depths below –1 m or more is about 0.1~0.2 mm/y. In
the mud zone, because of reduced oxygen supply compared to the submerged zone,
corrosion rate becomes smaller: about 0.03~0.05 mm/y.

3. Corrosion-protection Technologies for Port and Harbor Steel Structures

3.1 History of Corrosion-protection Technologies

When corrosion surveys were conducted in 1967 on a wharf constructed in 7.5
m of water at the Port of Toyama, it was found that the tie rods recovered were wrapped
in two layers of coal-tar impregnated jute (thickness: about 3 mm). By the way, no
corrosion was found in the tie rods.
The above example is a special case, because the most prevalent concept of
corrosion protection in those days was based on the provision of “corrosion allowance.”
Accordingly, the wall thickness of steel products was increased beforehand by a margin
for corrosion loss that would conform to the desired number of durable years.
It was in 1953 that cathodic protection was first applied on a harbor steel
structure; this was the Port of Amagasaki in which an anodic system employing
magnesium alloy anode was applied. At this port, cathodic protection by means of an
external current source system was applied in 1954.

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 Entering the 1960s, attempts were made to use cathodic protection (external
current source system) in various port and harbor structures. But the diffusion of
cathodic protection did not show progress. Some major reasons contributing to this was
that recognition of the need for periodic inspection of corrosion-protection current
density and electric potentials and other maintenance measures after completion of a
harbor facility was insufficient, and that expenditures for the maintenance of public
facilities was inadequate.
Around 1960~1965, oil paint and tar epoxy resin paint were developed and
increasingly adopted for corrosion protection in zones above the submerged zone.
Entering the decade starting from 1965, it was thought that corrosion rate in
port and harbor steel structures in the submerged zone was equal to that of steel
specimens immersed in seawater. While there was steady recognition that long steel
products extending through multiple corrosion environments (tidal, submerged, and
mud zones) caused macro-cell corrosion, the actual state of macro-cell corrosion was not
yet clear. To correct this situation, the Port and Harbor Research Institute started a
nationwide survey of the actual state of corrosion in existing steel structures that, one,
lacked corrosion-protection measures and, two, had been in service for many years. At
first, efforts were directed at developing a steel product thickness gauge that could be
applied in the submerged zone, which led to the development of an ultrasonic flaw
thickness gauge.
In coating/lining corrosion protection, zinc-rich paint was developed and used
as an undercoat for tar-epoxy resin coating. Further, attempts were made to cover the
upper section of pier steel pipe piles with concrete as a corrosion-protection method for
structures above seawater level where the effect of cathodic protection could not be
obtained. However, at that time, because underwater non-separation concrete had not
yet been developed and because the structures that were covered with concrete were
still washed using seawater, the concrete-covering method did not necessarily produce
satisfactory results. In addition, there were cases in which the concrete covering
cracked and peeled off. Accordingly, the concrete-cover method was not realized in terms
of corrosion-protection performance.
Around 1970, chlorinated rubber paint was developed, followed by the
development of urethane paint in 1972.
In cathodic protection, high-performance aluminum alloy anodes were
developed, and the full-scale application of anodic corrosion protection started. Also
around 1970, underwater welding technology was developed to reduce the work period
and increase safety when attaching aluminum alloy anodes. However, in those days, the
provision of corrosion allowances remained the main corrosion-protection method.

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 Entering the decade starting from 1975, the application of cathodic protection
for steel structures newly installed in the submerged zone was clearly designated in the
“design standards for port and harbor facilities.” Further, starting in 1980 and for some
years afterwards, diverse kinds of highly durable coating/lining corrosion-protection
methods were developed, among which were the cement-mortar/FRP cover method, the
petrolatum lining method, and the underwater hardening-type lining method. Around
1982, polyethylene lining and polyurethane lining (the so-called heavy-duty corrosion
protection method) were developed. In the coating-type system, ultra heavy/thick type
epoxy resin paint and fluorine resin paint having high weather resistance were
developed.
However, even in those days, corrosion-protection systems were not necessarily
applied for all port and harbor facilities, and in reality many steel structures relied on
the “corrosion allowance” system.
As a result, in 1983, an accident occurred at the Port of Yokohama involving the
subsidence of a harbor facility. Triggered by this accident, cathodic protection was
established in 1984 as the standard method of corrosion protection for existing steel
structures in the submerged and mud zones, and coating/lining protection as the
standard method of corrosion protection for existing steel structures in the tidal, splash,
and atmospheric zones.
During the same period, the practical application of titanium as a
corrosion-protection material began in the form of titanium cladding for steel plates, as
did the use of corrosion-resistant stainless steel linings. Titanium materials had already
been adopted for actual structures such as the bridge piers of the Trans-Tokyo Bay
Highway (for water depths ranging between –2 m and +3 m) and the Yumemai Bridge
(floating, revolving-type). Seawater-resistant stainless steel linings were applied as a
corrosion-protection measure for the jacket-type quays used to improve the Ooi Quay
(for water depths of –1 m and above).
Further in the Technical Standards for Port and Harbor Facilities revised in
April 1999, corrosion-protection methods based on corrosion allowance was eliminated,
and as a rule cathodic protection was stipulated for zones below the mean tidal level
and the coating/lining protection method for all zones upwards from 1 m below the
mean tidal level.
As stated above, corrosion-protection technologies for port and harbor steel
structures have undergone a series of transitions, and, currently, there are many
corrosion-protection and corrosion-repair methods with practical applicability that have
been put into actual use (Fig. 4).

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Fig. 4 Transitions in Corrosion-protection Technologies
for Port and Harbor Steel Structures

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 3.2 Concepts for Standard Corrosion-protection Methods
Needless to say, it is necessary to provide appropriate corrosion-protection
measures for port and harbor steel structures. In particular, regarding concentrated
corrosion occurring in the vicinity just beneath the M.L.W.L., it is difficult to visually
find it and, further, to repair it by the use of coatings, and thus it is necessary to
implement appropriate countermeasures. Three standard corrosion-protection methods
are established to treat concentrated corrosion (Fig. 5).

Fig. 5 Standard Corrosion-protection Methods for Port

and Harbor Steel Structures

(A): This method applies coating/lining corrosion protection to the section above
L.W.L. –1 m and cathodic protection to the section below the M.L.W.L.; it is also the
most widely applied method. Because the section from the M.L.W.L. to L.W.L. –1 m is
the site where concentrated corrosion is liable to most frequently occur, both the
coating/lining method and cathodic protection are applied. Further, the combined use of
both methods is effective in environments where high waves occur and river water
mixes with great amounts of rainwater.
(B): This method applies the coating/lining corrosion protection of method (A)
to sections deeper toward the sea bottom. This method is most economical and effective
in cases where the large corrosion-protection current density of cathodic protection is
necessary in open seas and in areas subject to the flow of high tides. The same is true in
environments where the seawater electric resistance ratio is subject to wide seasonal
deviation, for example, floodgates and revetments installed at the mouths of rivers.
There are many examples of method (B) being applied to long-span bridges and
floodgates.
(C): This method applies coating/lining corrosion protection to those parts of
the splash zone where the severest corrosion occurs, tidal zone, submerged zone, and

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mud zone. In general, this method is applied to steel sheet pile revetments installed in
areas of shallow water. In such applications, the coating/lining method should possess
particularly excellent corrosion protection and durability. In most cases, polyethylene
linings and urethane-elastomer linings are applied to newly installed structures, and
petrolatum linings and mortar linings to existing structures. In most cases, the limit
application depth for the coating/lining method is up to G.L. –1 m. The
corrosion-protection method is not applied to the mud zone at G.L. –1 m or below. In
such an application, it is necessary to adopt a steel product having increased wall
thickness sufficient for the corrosion loss expected in the corresponding sea area.
In general, method (A) is the corrosion-protection method that is applied to
revetments and quay structures built using steel pipe piles, steel sheet piles, and steel
pipe sheet piles. For large-scale structures and structures installed in river-mouth areas,
there are cases in which method (B) is effective. Accordingly, it is necessary to
determine the most economical method through comparison studies.
For structures having a short service life (temporary structures, etc.), no
particular corrosion-protection methods are generally applied, although there are cases
in which corrosion protection is implemented by means of increased wall thickness
(corrosion allowance).

3.3 Materials for Coating/Lining Corrosion Protection

Diverse kinds of corrosion-protection materials and methods have been put
into practical use so that they can accurately meet the respective application conditions
of port and harbor steel structures. Five major coating/lining corrosion-protection
methods are applied to port and harbor steel structures—coatings, organic linings,
petrolatum linings, mortar linings, and metallic linings.
A representative coating system uses heavy/thick film-type zinc-rich paint plus
epoxy resin paint.
Compared to coatings, organic linings have certain problems in terms of lining
efficiency, ease of repair, and lining cost, but they also have higher corrosion resistance.
Among the organic linings applied to port and harbor steel structures are polyethylene
linings, urethane elastomer linings, extra-heavy/thick film-type linings, and
underwater linings. Stable lining quality can be obtained with polyethylene linings and
urethane elastomer linings that are factory processed using special equipment. Further,
application of these two lining systems is increasing due to the reduced cost brought
about by mass production.
Underwater linings are available in two types—the putty type in which the
lining material, in a putty-like state, is applied by manual cladding; and the painting

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type whereby the lining material is applied using rollers and brushes. One of the
features of the underwater lining system is that the lining can be applied to
complex-shaped structures such as the sections where steel sheet piles are joined.
Petrolatum lining has many recorded applications and is effective as a
corrosion-protection method for port and harbor steel structures. In this system,
petrolatum-type corrosion-protection material is tightly bonded to the steel product
surface, which is protected by the use of plastic or reinforced plastic covers and
corrosion-resistant metallic covers. There are cases in which a buffer material is
inserted between the petrolatum material and the cover. Further, there is another
available method whereby the petrolatum material, buffer material, and cover are
integrated. The integrated system features underwater applicability, comparative ease
in surface grinding, and no need for a curing period after lining.
Mortar lining is a method whereby corrosion protection is attained by forming
a dense passive film on the surface of a steel product by fully utilizing the alkaline in
cement. When lining with concrete, the method is frequently called mortar lining.
Mortar lining has long been applied in the corrosion protection of port and harbor steel
structures. When the deterioration of lined mortar occurs in the form of cracking,
peeling-off, or neutralization, the corrosion protection performance drops. To remedy
this, various countermeasures are adopted—increased lining thickness, mixing of
organic polymers and steel fibers, surface coating, and the use of protectors that are also
used as FRP and metal molds.
Metallic lining is particularly superior in impact resistance and abrasion
resistance over other lining systems, and is high in corrosion resistance. However,
because there is the possibility that galvanic corrosion may occur at the points where
the lining is connected to the targeted steel structures, it is necessary to fully examine
the measure to prevent that from happening. Highly corrosion-resistant stainless steel
and titanium are used as the metallic lining materials.

3.4 Cathodic Protection

(1) Principle of Cathodic Protection

In steel products that are developing corrosion, the anode section and the
cathode section are separated. Because the anode section and the cathode section are
electrically shorted, a corrosion cell is formed. As a result, a corrosion current (icorr)
flows from the anode section to the cathode section, thereby causing corrosion of the
anode section. In order to prevent this, either the anode or cathode section is eliminated
so as not to form a corrosion cell. That is, the direct current that overcomes the corrosion

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current flowing from the steel product into the electrolysis (seawater) is continuously
flowed from an external source into the steel product so as to prevent ionization
(corrosion) in steel products. (See Fig. 6)

Fig. 6 Principle of Cathodic Protection

There are two types of cathodic protection—the external current source system
and the sacrificial anodic system. In the external current source system, an electric
circuit is formed by the combined use of a direct current device, an insoluble electrode,
and the steel product to be protected; the protective current flows from the direct
current source to the steel product via the insoluble electrode (electrode). In the
sacrificial anodic system, large/small and/or high/low trends toward the ionization of
metallic materials is utilized in such a way that metallic materials such as aluminum,
zinc, magnesium, etc. are connected to the steel and are ionized (corroded) instead of the
steel so as to protect the steel product against corrosion.

(2) Application of Cathodic Protection

In the current application standard, the prescribed application range for
cathodic protection is the section extending from the M.L.W.L. downward. Cathodic
protection is very effective in preventing concentrated corrosion from occurring in steel
products located just beneath the M.L.W.L.
In 1976, the Ministry of Transport clearly stated in the design standard that
cathodic protection (aluminum alloy anodes) be used in newly installed port and harbor
steel structures. In 1988, its application was stipulated as the method for repairing
existing structures as well.
In cathodic protection as currently applied, the sacrificial anodic system using
aluminum alloy anodes is almost exclusively adopted. The major reasons for this are the
many advantages offered by the sacrificial anodic system—no need to use a current
source once the system is installed (in contrast to the external current source system),
no need for power expenditures, and the possibility of inspection and maintenance by
periodically measuring electric potential.

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4. Newest Topic on Corrosion Prevention Technology
(Tokyo International Airport (HANEDA Airport))

Fig. 7 shows a new Haneda Airport with 4th Runway, presently under
construction. The feature of this runway is composed of reclaimed part (2020m in
length) and wharf part (1100mm in length). As previous experience on Port and Harbor
Steel Structure, well established corrosion prevention technology is required on wharf
structures for long term design service life, in this case, 100 years. For this very
important structure, steel piles composing steel jacket are all protected with stainless
steel plate, 0.4mm in thickness at the part of tidal and splashing zone (Fig. 8). Steel
beams composing of frame of the Upper structure are protected with epoxy resin coating
(Fig. 9). The design service life of 100 years is a challenge for marine steel structures,
exposing to very severe environmental condition. As just explained, highest level of
corrosion prevention technology is adopted for jacket type steel structure. However, it is
not thought that proper maintenance is necessary to achieve the service life of 100
years.

Fig.7 New Haneda Airport with 4th Runway

Fig.8 Lower Structure of Wharf Type Fig.9 Upper Structure of Wharf Type Runway
Runway

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5. Future Insight of Performance Driven Design and Maintenance of Corrosion
Prevention Technology

Roughly speaking, in history of corrosion prevention technology in Japan, in

1980’ the “corrosion allowance theory” was diminished and “corrosion prevention
methods, such as, cathodic protection system, coating/lining system were established. In
2000’, main part of infra structure preparation changed from new construction to
maintenance of existing structures. And, design system was gradually changed from the
“Specification” to the “Performance driven”. Also, the design of corrosion prevention
system was gradually shifted to the performance driven method. The definition of the
performance of corrosion prevention system is “Within the design service life, to prevent
steel corrosion (rusting)”.
The design service life of general steel structures is mostly 50 years, except for
new runway of Haneda airport, 100 years. Table 1 presents Lining or Coating Method
and Expected Service Life. At present technological condition, the 50 years is the
highest durability. Normally, 20 years and 30 years are expected level. This means the
proper maintenance system is necessary to achieve the expected service life of more
than 50 years for marine steel structures. In recent decade since 2000, major discussion
was concentrated on the maintenance system of Port and Harbor Structures, both of
concrete structures (RC, PC, Concrete- steel Hybrid) and steel structures (steel sheet
pile, steel pipe pile, jacket type).

Table 1 Lining or Coating Method and Expected Service Life

Lining or
Materials and method Expected service life
Coating
Thick epoxy resin type painting
20 years
Glass flake contained epoxy resin type
Polyethylene lining type
Pre-coated type Polyurethane lining type 30 years
Thick epoxy resin type lining
Seawater resist type stainless steel lining
50 years
Thin Titan plate clad type
Underwater-hardened resin type 20 years
Resin covered petrolatum tape type
Coated on site 30 years
Metal covered petrolatum tape type
Type
Reinforced concrete covered type
30 years
Cement mortal covered with protective cover

Fig. 10 shows Performance Degradation Curve and Maintenance Effect. In this

figure, also the three different maintenance levels are shown. Maintenance level is
defined as the “level I” as the highest grade, “level II” for middle grade, and “level III”

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for the lowest grade. The level is set for each structure considering several important
factors such as “important level of the structure”, “environmental condition”, ”difficulty
of the inspection/survey”.
Maintenance work should be based on the LCM concept of individual structure.
Fig. 11 shows the flowchart of the maintenance procedure. Fundamentally, a series of
maintenance is composed of “periodic inspection”, “required investigation”, and
“evaluation of deterioration or performance degradation”, if necessary, “repair and
reinforcement” and “data base construction for high level and low cost maintenance
system”.
At present 2010, to some degree, corrosion prevention technology is well
developed. However, in future, following upgrades, 1) Performance-driven design
system of corrosion protection system, 2) More higher level maintenance system, are
still necessary to be established.

Fig.10 Performance Degradation Curve and Maintenance Effect

Fig.11 Maintenance Flow Based on LCM (Life Cycle Management)

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Concluding Remarks and Acknowledgements
In my preparation of the above paper, the Port and Airport Research Institute,
to which the author previously belonged, supplied many useful data and materials, for
which I express my greatest thanks.
While it is clear that corrosion-protection technologies have made great strides,
the current technologies are not necessarily perfect. In Japan, new R&D efforts are
being promoted in this area, and the author hopes to contribute to this in one way or
another. In this regard, I would be very grateful if I could collaborate with engineers
and researchers in Vietnam and Indonesia pertaining to corrosion protection in the
construction of port and harbor steel structures.

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