Mar 3 2010
Whilst much research is devoted to understanding and predicting climate change, relatively little attention is focused on the effect it may have on steel infrastructure. Climate change-induced variations in relative humidity, rainfall, ultraviolet levels, wind patterns, pollution transport and the frequency of severe weather events could have a significant impact on infrastructure life and result in a potentially devastating loss of durability. Understanding of the corrosion behaviour of infrastructure under changing climate conditions is crucial to industry worldwide.
To this end, a special issue of Corrosion Engineering, Science and Technology (Volume 45 number 1) from Maney Publishing is dedicated to examining the effect climate change and global warming may have on the corrosion of metals used in infrastructure. Guest edited by Professor B. Valdez Salas and Professor M. Schorr Wiener from the Institute of Engineering, University of Baja California, Mexico, the issue brings together papers examining climate change-induced corrosion.
Cole and Paterson investigate the effect climate change may have on atmospheric corrosion in Australia and highlight the difficulties involved in making an average prediction for the future. Review papers consider the wider picture, such as the paper by Roberge, which examines three aspects of climate change that may alter the corrosion behaviour of the environment and increase the risk of corrosion failure.