Observations of atmospheric corrosion in an aggressive marine environment

World-wide many studies have been conducted to determine the rate of corrosion in marine atmospheric environments. These environments are known to be very aggressive. Most studies have extended over a limited number of years and very few for longer. The most well-known of these are the 16-year tests in the tropical Panama Canal Zone. The present paper reports recent observations of corrosion loss, and non-uniform corrosion, for steel H shaped columns of the coal loading jetty at Catherine Hill Bay, on the Pacific Ocean south of Newcastle. Estimates suggest the columns have been exposed for some 40 years since the last time protective coatings were applied. The present conditions of the piles show limited evidence of such coatings. There is much variability in the amount of corrosion loss. The paper reports a number of corrosion measurements for both the most exposed sides and the apparently somewhat protected sides of the jetty and compares these with corrosion losses reported for comparable sites, including corrosion losses and observations for Belmont Beach.