Cathodic Protection

Requirements for
Military Projects

US Army Corps
of Engineers
Mobile District

CESAM-EN-DR
109 Saint Joseph St.
Mobile, AL 36602-3630
1-800-543-2021

Michael A. Wallace, P.E.

Electronics Engineer
NACE Cathodic Protection Specialist
Engineering Division

Office: 251-694-4068
FAX: 251-694-4057
michael.a.wallace@sam.usace.army.mil

Impact of Corrosion
Corrosion is a major
Economic, Environmental,
and Safety Problem which
adversely affects our Nation, as
well as many of our military
facilities.

What is Corrosion?

Corrosion is the deterioration

of a material, usually a metal,
because of a reaction with its
environment.

Typical Corrosion Cell

TUBERCULAR
BUILDUP OF
RUST

Types of Corrosion Cells

Dissimilar Metal Cell
Concentration Cell
Differential Aeration
Cell
Stray Current Cell

Stress Cell
New Pipe and Old
Pipe Cell
Motion Cell
Combination Cell
Temperature Cell

Corrosion Can Be Controlled

Corrosion Control must
be properly addressed during
the design, installation, and
subsequent operation of
systems adversely affected
by the corrosion process.

Corrosion Control Methods

Protective Coatings
Design
Environmental
Control
Material Selection
Cathodic Protection

Protective Coatings
Normally first line of defense against corrosion:
provides barrier between a corrosive environment
and the structure.
No coating is perfect and consists of holidays
(voids) often resulting from improper application
and/or damage.
Cathodic Protection often used in conjunction with
coatings to protect the holidays or voids in the
coating system.

Cathodic Protection:
An electrical method of
mitigating corrosion on
metallic structures that are
exposed to electrolytes such
as soils and waters.

Sacrifical Cathodic Protection

Magnesium or
Zinc

Impressed Current CP

Standards and Laws

NACE International Standards (National
Association of Corrosion Engineers)
40 CFR Part 280 - Underground Storage Tanks
(UST)
49 CFR Part 192 - Transportation of Natural Gas
and other Gas by Pipeline
49 CFR Part 195 - Transportation of Hazardous
Liquids by Pipeline
Individual State Environmental and Safety Laws

Military Criteria
ETL 1110-3-474, Cathodic Protection
TM 5-811-7, Cathodic Protection
MIL-HDBK-1004/10, Electrical Engineering,
Cathodic Protection
MIL-HDBK-1136, Maintenance and Operation
of Cathodic Protection Systems (Draft)

Military Criteria (Cont.)

Guide Specifications (Army)
UFGS 13110A Cathodic Protection System
(Sacrificial Anode)
UFGS 13111A Cathodic Protection System
(Steel Water Tanks)
UFGS 13112A Cathodic Protection System
(Impressed Current)

ETL 1110-3-474 requires CP & Coatings

regardless of soil or water resistivity for:
Natural Gas and
propane piping
Liquid fuel piping
Oxygen piping
Underground storage
tanks (UST) systems
Fire protection piping
Steel water tank
interiors

Ductile or cast iron

pressurized piping
under floor slab
Underground heat
distribution & chilled
water piping in
metallic conduit
Other structures with
hazardous products

Designer Qualifications
Design must be accomplished by qualified
personnel. ETL 1110-3-474 requires the following:
All pre-design surveys, designs, and acceptance
surveys must be by a Corrosion Expert.
Corrosion Expert is a NACE Certified Corrosion
Specialist, CP Specialist, or registered Professional
Corrosion Engineer.
Corrosion Expert must have a minimum of 5 years
experience in CP design and experience must be type
specific.

Advantages of Adequate
Corrosion Control
Extended Coating and Structure Life
yielding Cost Savings
Protection of Environment
Improved Public and Employee Safety
Avoidance of costly Litigation resulting
from non-adherence to Laws and
Regulations

Carlsbad, NM Explosion

Upstream View of Rupture Crater

Lively, TX Explosion
Gas Explosion - killed
2 Teenagers
Oil Company did not
maintain CP system
and falsified records to
OPS
Jury awarded over 300
million dollars to
Plaintiff

Removed & Leaking UST

Tank Wall Completely Penetrated Due to Pitting Corrosion

Corrosion of Steel H Piling

Embedded in Concrete

MacDill AFB, Florida

Summary
Corrosion is costly and its effects can cause
harm to our environment, as well as to
human life.
Cathodic Protection can effectively control
corrosion.
Cathodic protection is required by many laws
and regulations and must be designed by
qualified personnel.