Metal corrosion of buildings: Rust never sleeps
Empa researchers in Dübendorf have documented a significant decline in metal corrosion rates over the past decades, with steel loss dropping from several tons per second worldwide to 100–150 g m⁻² yr⁻¹ in industrial sites and 30 g m⁻² yr⁻¹ at the Chaumont site. The study links reduced sulfur dioxide pollution to lower corrosion, while noting that other pollutants and climate change may still pose future risks. The research, part of the ICP Materials network, also monitors UNESCO World Heritage sites, estimating that air pollution accounts for up to 80 % of maintenance costs.
Empa researchers in Dübendorf have documented a significant decline in metal corrosion rates over the past decades, with steel loss dropping from several tons per second worldwide to 100–150 g m⁻² yr⁻¹ in industrial sites and 30 g m⁻² yr⁻¹ at the Chaumont site. The study links reduced sulfur dioxide pollution to lower corrosion, while noting that other pollutants and climate change may still pose future risks. The research, part of the ICP Materials network, also monitors UNESCO World Heritage sites, estimating that air pollution accounts for up to 80 % of maintenance costs.
The extensive corrosion data collected by Empa offers a rich dataset for Swiss AI research in predictive modeling of material degradation.
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