ASSESSMENT OF COATING QUALITY IN CATHODIC PROTECTION AND COATING SYSTEMS

The combined use of coatings and cathodic protection (CP) is an area w hich has developed significantly during the last decade. This has seve ral advantages for offshore structures: a total current demand is redu ced, an even current distribution, and a fast polarization of the stru cture are achieved. An uncertain factor of the design of the CP system and the evaluation of the cost benefits is that the progressive coati ng deteriorates with time. Data on coating degradation on cathodically polarized painted steel specimens exposed to natural seawater at an a mbient temperature are presented.