Corrosion of galvanized strips in Florida reinforced earth walls

The corrosion condition of the galvanized reinforcement in Florida Departme nt of Transportation (FDOT) Mechanically Stabilized Earth Walls (MSEW) was determined at selected sites. For this purpose, 10 MSEW structures were ins trumented at 8 different Florida sites for measurements of soil resistivity , electrical potential, and corrosion rates of both galvanized steel and pl ain steel, by polarization resistance tests. The FDOT design standards for soil chemistry and particle size distribution were met in virtually all the test locations and structures tested. The reinforcements in the structures investigated were typically in good condition and the apparent corrosion r ate of galvanized elements was low (average about 1 mu m/year). A deteriora tion model for service life forecasting was formulated using the field surv ey input.