Over the years, government agencies and other organizations have delayed investments in corrosion protection for bridges, water and wastewater pipes and facilities, and additional structures. Not addressing corrosion can have devastating consequences. For example, an inspection report completed on the Fern Hollow Bridge four months before the bridge collapsed showed structural decay, yet repairs were not made and people were injured.
How bad is the corrosion problem?
A U.S. corrosion study released by the U.S. Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) in 2002 found the annual direct cost of metallic corrosion was $276 billion, which represented 3% of the U.S. Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The study also estimated the indirect cost, including lost productivity because of outages, delays, failures, and litigation, was equal to the direct cost, for a total of $552 billion. The study also broke down the cost of corrosion by industry, including Infrastructure (e.g., bridges and pipelines) at $23 billion; Production and Manufacturing (e.g., oil & gas and pulp & paper) at $18 billion; and Utilities (e.g., drinking water and sewer systems) at $48 billion.
Making safety a priority.
The 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal was designed to help rebuild America’s bridges and roads, expand access to clean drinking water, and a wide variety of other projects.
• Clean water. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal will invest $55 billion to expand access to clean drinking water all across the country.
• Bridge and road repair. In the U.S, 45,000 bridges are in poor condition. The legislation invests $110 billion in additional funding to repair roads and bridge and support major, transformational projects.
Pulp & paper mills and oil & gas companies may qualify Department of Energy and other agency programs. If you haven’t checked to see if your organization qualifies for funding, you can read more about the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law here.
FSN has CAS certified workers as well as QP1-QP9 certified industrial coating contractors throughout the U.S. that can address corrosion and apply protective coatings to your bridges, water & wastewater plants, oil & gas facilities, pulp & paper mills, and other structures. Put us on your bid list and contact us today at (410) 564-5876 or sales@FinishingSolutionsNetwork.com to learn more. Our vetted contractors are insured, licensed, bonded, and safety-focused.
