In Soil

Another common exposure for hot-dip galvanized steel is partially or fully buried in soil. With more than 200 different types of soil identified in North America, hot-dip galvanizing s performance in soil is varied and hard to predict. !ven in very close proximity, soil conditions can have significant variations. "he main factors that dictate the corrosivity of the soil are moisture content, p# level, and chlorides. "hese soil conditions are affected by additional characteristics such as aeration, temperature, resistivity, and texture or particle size. A general rule of thumb is galvanizing performs $ell in bro$n sandy soils, and not as $ell in gray, clay-li%e soils. "his is because soil $ith larger particles $ic% moisture a$ay from the surface more &uic%ly so the galvanized piece has less exposure to moisture. "he first step to estimating the performance of hot-dip galvanized steel in soil is to classify it. "he corrosion rate of steel in soil can range from less than 20 microns per year in favorable conditions, to 200 microns per year or more in very aggressive soils. "hus, highly corrosive soils $ill dictate the need for a reliable corrosion protection system, such as hot-dip galvanizing, to ensure long-term protection. As soil changes even over a short area, and the corrosivity of the soil can vary greatly, misclassifying the soil can lead to unpredicted performance. "he A'A has developed a chart for estimating #(' s performance in soil based on real $orld corrosion data. )n this case, service life is defined as total consumption of the coating plus 2*+, and is an indication of $hen the structure should be replaced. "here are four different ,sub- charts based on the classification of the soil. .sing the chart ,belo$-, the first classification is by chloride content / 0harts 1 and 2 ,top ro$- are used for soils $ith high chlorides ,220 334- and 0harts 5 and 6 ,bottom ro$- are used for soils $ith lo$ chlorides ,720 334-. 8nce you have identified the chloride content, there is a second classification to determine the correct chart to use. 9or soils $ith high chlorides, the second determination $ould be moisture content. :oils $ith lo$ moisture ,71;.*+- fall on 0hart 1,

$hile soils $ith high moisture ,21;.*+- fall on 0hart 2. 9or lo$ chlorides, the second determination is the p# level. :oils $ith high p# levels ,2;.0- fall on 0hart 5, $hile soils $ith lo$ p# ,7;.0- fall on 0hart 6.

"he blue line on all four charts represents the average for soils surveyed in that characteristic group. "he green line represents the best soil in the category sampled, and the red line represents the $orst soil in the category from the study. "he shaded areas sho$ ho$ the changes in p# and moisture content affect the estimated service life. Assuming 5.* mils as a minimum thic%ness for #(' buried in soil, the chart sho$s the average life in the harshest soils ,uncommon- $ould be approximately *0 years and in the best soils exceed 120 years. "he ne$ soil chart is based on data from t$o ma<or studies. 9irst, the 0orrpro 0ompanies study for the National 0orrugated :teel 3ipe Association ,N0:3A- in con<unction $ith the American )ron and :teel )nstitute ,A):)-. "he second study $as done bac% in the 1=;0 s by (r. Warren >ogers $hich helped to determine the four variables ,chlorides, moisture content, p#, and resistivity- that have the most profound effect on the corrosion rates in soils.