Buried engineering structures such as pipelines, storage tanks and offshore structures are some of the major pieces of infrastructure across the globe that are suffering extensively from corrosion. Cathodic protection is the best way to prevent such corrosion. We will introduce you to the concept of corrosion which is relevant to pipelines, storage tanks and offshore structures. Research the various forms of corrosion that affect these structures. We outline the composition or functional materials required for corrosion, the electrochemical nature of corrosion and control measures regarding corrosion. We consider the factors affecting the life or performance of buried structures. Pipeline corrosion is unique because it faces two kinds of corrosion. We examine these and the effect of soil, microbes and metal surfaces on corrosion.

Cathodic protection is significant for a range of structures so there is a need to understand how to implement cathodic protection engineering. You cannot completely avoid the corrosion of buried structures. Investigate the various developed criteria to ensure adequate protection of these structures. Each criterion has its merits and limitations but its advantages and disadvantages are critical in understanding the fundamentals of cathodic protection. Explore the electrochemical principles as applicable to cathodic protection engineering. We will cover three important principles: the basic principle of cathodic protection, the use of the Evans diagram and the types of cathodic protection one may apply to engineer structures. Then we highlight the differences between chemical and electrochemical reactions. We will also use this to check the governing relationship between potential and current in the electrochemical corrosion process of metals.

Pipelines concerning engineering structures in a typical plant and other buried structures undergo unknown physical and climate changes over time. The course's final section investigates the concepts involved in assessing pipelines experiencing corrosion through surveys. We divide this into two parts. The first part consists of natural surveys that apply to buried pipelines, the soil resistivity survey and the pipe-to-soil potential survey. The second part deals with the line current and the drain current measurements surveys. We will also show you the list of information required to survey a pipeline with or without cathodic protection. Study how to identify and control hot spots in a pipeline experiencing severe corrosion and determine the quality of protective coatings in buried pipelines. Lastly, we discuss the anode ground bed in the cathodic protection of buried structures. We introduce you to backfill and its role in cathodic protection and consider why it may be necessary to be concerned about anode ground bed. This course will interest researchers, engineers or anyone involved with or interested in studying the corrosion of buried engineering structures. So do not delay. Start learning today!