Buckling capacity of uniformly corroded steel members in terms of exposure time

Most of steel structures in various industries are subjected to corrosion due to environmental exposure. Corrosion damage is a serious problem for these structures which may reduce their carrying capacity. These aging structures require maintenance and in many cases, replacement. The goal of this research is to consider the effects of corrosion by developing a model that estimates corrosion loss as a function of exposure time. The model is formulated based on average measured thickness data collected from three severely corroded I-beams (nearly 30 years old). Since corrosion is a time-dependent parameter. Analyses were performed to calculate the lateral buckling capacity of steel beam in terms of exposure time. Minimum curves have been developed for assessment of the remaining lateral buckling capacity of ordinary I-beams based on the loss of thicknesses in terms of exposure time. These minimum curves can be used by practicing engineers for better estimates on the service life of corrosion damaged steel beams.