Thermally Sprayed Metal Coatings to Protect Steel Pilings: Final Report and Guide (2004)

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T R A N S P O R T A T I O N R E S E A R C H B O A R D WASHINGTON, D.C. 2004 www.TRB.org NATIONAL COOPERATIVE HIGHWAY RESEARCH PROGRAM NCHRP REPORT 528 Research Sponsored by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials in Cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration SUBJECT AREAS Bridges, Other Structures, and Hydraulics and Hydrology • Soils, Geology, and Foundations • Materials and Construction • Maintenance Thermally Sprayed Metal Coatings to Protect Steel Pilings: Final Report and Guide JAMES A. ELLOR WALTER T. YOUNG JOHN REPP Corrpro Companies, Inc. Ocean City Research Group Ocean City, NJ

NATIONAL COOPERATIVE HIGHWAY RESEARCH PROGRAM Systematic, well-designed research provides the most effective approach to the solution of many problems facing highway administrators and engineers. Often, highway problems are of local interest and can best be studied by highway departments individually or in cooperation with their state universities and others. However, the accelerating growth of highway transportation develops increasingly complex problems of wide interest to highway authorities. These problems are best studied through a coordinated program of cooperative research. In recognition of these needs, the highway administrators of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials initiated in 1962 an objective national highway research program employing modern scientific techniques. This program is supported on a continuing basis by funds from participating member states of the Association and it receives the full cooperation and support of the Federal Highway Administration, United States Department of Transportation. The Transportation Research Board of the National Academies was requested by the Association to administer the research program because of the Board’s recognized objectivity and understanding of modern research practices. The Board is uniquely suited for this purpose as it maintains an extensive committee structure from which authorities on any highway transportation subject may be drawn; it possesses avenues of communications and cooperation with federal, state and local governmental agencies, universities, and industry; its relationship to the National Research Council is an insurance of objectivity; it maintains a full-time research correlation staff of specialists in highway transportation matters to bring the findings of research directly to those who are in a position to use them. The program is developed on the basis of research needs identified by chief administrators of the highway and transportation departments and by committees of AASHTO. Each year, specific areas of research needs to be included in the program are proposed to the National Research Council and the Board by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. Research projects to fulfill these needs are defined by the Board, and qualified research agencies are selected from those that have submitted proposals. Administration and surveillance of research contracts are the responsibilities of the National Research Council and the Transportation Research Board. The needs for highway research are many, and the National Cooperative Highway Research Program can make significant contributions to the solution of highway transportation problems of mutual concern to many responsible groups. The program, however, is intended to complement rather than to substitute for or duplicate other highway research programs. Note: The Transportation Research Board of the National Academies, the National Research Council, the Federal Highway Administration, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, and the individual states participating in the National Cooperative Highway Research Program do not endorse products or manufacturers. Trade or manufacturers’ names appear herein solely because they are considered essential to the object of this report. Published reports of the NATIONAL COOPERATIVE HIGHWAY RESEARCH PROGRAM are available from: Transportation Research Board Business Office 500 Fifth Street, NW Washington, DC 20001 and can be ordered through the Internet at: http://www.national-academies.org/trb/bookstore Printed in the United States of America NCHRP REPORT 528 Project E24-10 FY’98 ISSN 0077-5614 ISBN 0-309-08801-1 Library of Congress Control Number 2004110541 © 2004 Transportation Research Board Price $25.00 NOTICE The project that is the subject of this report was a part of the National Cooperative Highway Research Program conducted by the Transportation Research Board with the approval of the Governing Board of the National Research Council. Such approval reflects the Governing Board’s judgment that the program concerned is of national importance and appropriate with respect to both the purposes and resources of the National Research Council. The members of the technical committee selected to monitor this project and to review this report were chosen for recognized scholarly competence and with due consideration for the balance of disciplines appropriate to the project. The opinions and conclusions expressed or implied are those of the research agency that performed the research, and, while they have been accepted as appropriate by the technical committee, they are not necessarily those of the Transportation Research Board, the National Research Council, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, or the Federal Highway Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation. Each report is reviewed and accepted for publication by the technical committee according to procedures established and monitored by the Transportation Research Board Executive Committee and the Governing Board of the National Research Council.

The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society of distinguished schol- ars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. On the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in 1863, the Academy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientific and techni- cal matters. Dr. Bruce M. Alberts is president of the National Academy of Sciences. The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964, under the charter of the National Acad- emy of Sciences, as a parallel organization of outstanding engineers. It is autonomous in its administration and in the selection of its members, sharing with the National Academy of Sciences the responsibility for advising the federal government. The National Academy of Engineering also sponsors engineering programs aimed at meeting national needs, encourages education and research, and recognizes the superior achieve- ments of engineers. Dr. William A. Wulf is president of the National Academy of Engineering. The Institute of Medicine was established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences to secure the services of eminent members of appropriate professions in the examination of policy matters pertaining to the health of the public. The Institute acts under the responsibility given to the National Academy of Sciences by its congressional charter to be an adviser to the federal government and, on its own initiative, to identify issues of medical care, research, and education. Dr. Harvey V. Fineberg is president of the Institute of Medicine. The National Research Council was organized by the National Academy of Sciences in 1916 to associate the broad community of science and technology with the Academy’s purposes of furthering knowledge and advising the federal government. Functioning in accordance with general policies determined by the Acad- emy, the Council has become the principal operating agency of both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering in providing services to the government, the public, and the scientific and engineering communities. The Council is administered jointly by both the Academies and the Institute of Medicine. Dr. Bruce M. Alberts and Dr. William A. Wulf are chair and vice chair, respectively, of the National Research Council. The Transportation Research Board is a division of the National Research Council, which serves the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering. The Board’s mission is to promote innovation and progress in transportation through research. In an objective and interdisciplinary setting, the Board facilitates the sharing of information on transportation practice and policy by researchers and practitioners; stimulates research and offers research management services that promote technical excellence; provides expert advice on transportation policy and programs; and disseminates research results broadly and encourages their implementation. The Board’s varied activities annually engage more than 5,000 engineers, scientists, and other transportation researchers and practitioners from the public and private sectors and academia, all of whom contribute their expertise in the public interest. The program is supported by state transportation departments, federal agencies including the component administrations of the U.S. Department of Transportation, and other organizations and individuals interested in the development of transportation. www.TRB.org www.national-academies.org

COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAMS STAFF FOR NCHRP REPORT 528 ROBERT J. REILLY, Director, Cooperative Research Programs CRAWFORD F. JENCKS, Manager, NCHRP TIMOTHY G. HESS, Senior Program Officer EILEEN P. DELANEY, Director of Publications ELLEN M. CHAFEE, Assistant Editor BETH HATCH, Assistant Editor NCHRP PROJECT E24-10 PANEL Field of Soils and Geology—Area of Mechanics and Foundations WILLIAM M. MEDFORD, North Carolina DOT (Chair) RICHARD R. CARTER, California DOT RICHARD P. LONG, University of Connecticut PAUL MCDAD, Texas DOT STEVEN OLSON, HNTB Corporation, Minneapolis, MN JOSEPH S. PUTHERICKAL, Iowa DOT FRANK REA, Florida DOT PHILLIP A. WALTON, New York State DOT BOB KOGLER, FHWA Liaison Representative G. P. JAYAPRAKASH, TRB Liaison Representative AUTHOR ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Corrpro Companies, Inc., performed this research under NCHRP Project 24-10. The work was performed at Corrpro Companies, Inc., facilities in West Chester, Pennsylvania, and in Ocean City, New Jersey. Mr. James A. Ellor, P.E., and Mr. Walter T. Young, P.E., were the Principal Investigators for this project. Mr. John Repp, P.E., conducted the laboratory tests. Dr. Richard Knight of the Materials Engineering Department at Drexel University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, provided consultation on thermally sprayed metal coating issues.

NCHRP Report 528 consists of two documents: (1) a final report that presents the find- ings of a research project investigating thermally sprayed metal coatings (TSMCs) and (2) a guide for the application of TSMCs to protect steel pilings from corrosion. This report will be of immediate interest to professionals in the public and private sectors responsible for designing, installing, inspecting, and maintaining steel pilings. The report will also be of interest to those charged with specifying TSMC materials and methods for the applica- tion of TSMCs. Thermally sprayed metal coatings (TSMCs) are available as alloys of base metals such as aluminum and zinc. TSMCs can offer substantial advantages when compared with other types of coatings commonly used to protect steel pilings primarily because of their resis- tance to corrosion and handling damage. However, available publications do not provide sufficient guidance for highway agency personnel on TSMC materials and the use of TSMCs for steel pilings. Without this information, there is reluctance to use this tech- nology. There has been a need for research on the use of TSMCs to protect steel pilings. Conclusions concerning the performance and potential benefits of TSMCs are needed as is a guide to assist state highway agencies in properly specifying and applying TSMCs. A guide can help highway agency personnel responsible for steel pilings to consider TSMCs and to make more rational decisions about the use of protective pile coatings. Under NCHRP Project 24-10, Corrpro Companies, Inc., investigated the existing state of knowledge pertaining to TSMCs and developed a guide addressing the application of TSMCs for the protection of steel pilings. The guide was developed as the result of in- vestigating existing standards and specifications, coating applicators, and widely used practices pertaining to TSMCs. Laboratory work was performed to refine critical areas not adequately addressed in current literature and practice such as abrasive mix, edge geome- try, sealers, and steel hardness variations. The final report for this project includes a literature review, a synthesis of existing prac- tice, a presentation of laboratory results, and four supporting appendixes: • Appendix A: List and Description of Existing TSMC Specifications, • Appendix B: List and Description of Existing TSMC Guides, • Appendix C: Literature Review References and Summaries, and • Appendix D: Bibliography. The Thermally Sprayed Metal Coating Guide, which is the primary product of this research, includes procedures for the application of TSMCs for corrosion control on piles used in highway construction. The guide provides information for a user to select, specify, and apply a metal coating for steel piles in freshwater, brackish, or seawater environments. The guide will significantly enhance the capabilities of highway agencies in using TSMCs to protect steel pilings from corrosion. FOREWORD By Timothy G. Hess Staff Officer Transportation Research Board

CONTENTS 1 SUMMARY 3 FINAL REPORT 5 CHAPTER 1 Introduction and Research Approach Issues of Concern, 5 Research Plan, 5 7 CHAPTER 2 Findings Collect and Review Domestic and Foreign Literature, 7 Procedures Used in Laboratory Tests, 12 Results of the Laboratory Tests, 19 39 CHAPTER 3 Interpretation, Appraisal, Application Interpretation and Appraisal, 39 Long-Term Implementation Plan, 39 41 CHAPTER 4 Conclusions and Suggested Research Conclusions, 41 Suggested Research, 42 43 REFERENCES A-1 APPENDIX A List and Description of Existing TSMC Specifications B-1 APPENDIX B List and Description of Existing TSMC Guides C-1 APPENDIX C Literature Review References and Summaries D-1 APPENDIX D Bibliography 1 THERMALLY SPRAYED METAL COATING GUIDE 2 SECTION 1 Introduction 3 SECTION 2 Safety and Environmental 12 SECTION 3 Coating Materials and Selection 23 SECTION 4 Surface Preparation 31 SECTION 5 TSMC Application 45 SECTION 6 Sealer Selection and Application 51 SECTION 7 Repair and Maintenance 56 SECTION 8 Quality Control and Inspection 68 SECTION 9 Qualifications 74 SECTION 10 Referenced Documents 89 SECTION 11 Generic Sealer Specification 94 GLOSSARY