Adoption of Stainless Steel in Bridge Construction for Safety and Sustainability

Abstract

<p>Stainless steel, an iron alloy with chromium, is corrosion-resistant with low maintenance requirements. It has good strength, toughness, and fatigue properties. Stainless steel can be fabricated using a range of engineering techniques and are fully recyclable at end-of-life. The high ductility of stainless steel is a useful property where resistance to seismic loading is required.</p><p>The high strength with low maintenance effort makes Stainless Steel an attractive candidate for the material of construction for Bridges. There is increasing awareness that whole life cost, not just initial cost, should be considered when selecting materials. Experience shows that using a corrosion-resistant material in order to avoid future maintenance, downtime, and replacement can be a sustainable cost-effective solution, even though the initial material costs are higher.</p>