The analysis of the influence of the corrosion protection method of selected steel elements on the steel structure life cycle costs

Steel products are widely used in the construction for the performance of essential and additional elements of engineering structures. They are characterized by high tensile strength, compression and bending, the structure homogeneity, the possibility of assembly regardless of the season and climatic conditions, ease of processing and the possibility of almost any shape. The main disadvantage of steel structures is their high susceptibility to corrosion, which depends on local operating conditions and the type of applied corrosion protection system. The aim of the research carried out by the authors is to indicate the possibility of reducing the costs associated with anti-corrosion protection, incurred at the stage of operation of the steel structure over a period of several decades. The scope of the research includes the life cycle cost analysis for selected steel elements using three alternative corrosion protection systems. The subject of the research is the analysis of the influence of the corrosion protection method of selected steel constructions on its life cycle costs. On the chosen example of the selected object and problems related to its use and maintenance, the possibility of using a singlelayer protection in the form of a metallization coating made in a hot-dip galvanizing process, a three-layer varnish coating based on liquid paints and protection composed of a galvanized metallization coating and a two-layer paint coating is considered. The assessment is carried out in accordance with the life-cycle cost estimation algorithm (LCC). © 2018 The Authors. Published by Diamond Congress Ltd. Peer-review under responsibility of the scientific committee of the Creative Construction Conference 2018.