Corrosion plays a pivotal role in the engineering world. Engineers of all disciplines must consider the dangers that this phenomenon can incur. Interestingly, corrosion mitigation is not a topic that is addressed in most academic curricula. The goal of this paper is to give engineering students a brief introduction into corrosion and some of the prevention techniques commonly used today.
The design of a corrosion protection system for offshore structures is discussed in order to illustrate how these techniques can be utilized even in the most extreme environments. First, the driving force behind corrosion is examined, introducing the basic mechanics that fuel this phenomenon. Some of the most common types of corrosion experienced by structures are discussed to make engineers aware of what to expect in the field. Next, the most widely used corrosion mitigation techniques such as coatings and cathodic protection are addressed. Utilizing currently recommended industry practice, an in-depth discussion of the process of designing a cathodic protection system for offshore structures is studied. Finally, this procedure is demonstrated by applying the design process to an existing offshore structure
