AN OVERVIEW OF 1978 BRIDGE PROJECT AND UPDATE ON CURRENT URETHANE COATING TECHNOLOGY

Preventing corrosion of any steel substrate located in the outside environment can be a problem particularly where the atmosphere is contaminated with industrial pollutants and/or where acid rain is prevalent. Bridges suffer from these problems and also from corrosive attacks of snow and ice melting chemicals, at least in the northern parts of the country. This paper discusses using urathane coating system for bridges. The system was designed in 1978 specifically as a maintenance coating for structures found in aggressive industrial environments and areas with severe corrosive problems. The use of the coating in the 1978 Allegheny County bridge project is provided as a case study.