Electrochemical corrosion failure analysis of large complex engineering structures by using micro-LPR sensors

This paper presents the effects of three major parameters; temperature, relative humidity and hygroscopic salts contaminants on the atmospheric corrosion of large steel structures. The effects of these three parameters have been analysed by using micro-sized LPR sensors to continuously monitor the corrosion rate of a degrading large structure under varying parameters. A long term, three years study was performed by deploying μ LPRs on strategically selected large military vehicles (main battlefield tanks), which are stationed in the Tank Museum at Bovington, UK. These vehicles are operational and are of historic significance with cultural biography, however structural deterioration through corrosion, corrosion fatigue, stress corrosion cracking and mechanical failures are a threat to these vehicles in terms of their conservation. A set of vehicles operational (uncontrolled environment) and non-operational (controlled environment) was selected for comparative analysis in context of corrosion rate. This research is founded on a novel real-time corrosion monitoring technique that enables to better understand the relationship between varying environmental parameters and corrosion rate of large steel-based mobile structures during operation. This research provides a synthesis of real time corrosion data, which has been accumulated over a period of three years. An overview of structural deterioration is presented and derived from a significantly large data, therefore it provides a more reliable and highly accurate assessment of failures due to corrosion.