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Old 02-04-2005, 07:48 AM   #1
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OK all you structural engineers...comments?

A bridge in Indonesia is reportedly in danger of collapse because of people urinating on one of its steel pillars.



Acid or Base?
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Old 02-04-2005, 08:47 AM   #2
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If I remember my high school science a small portion of Urine is Uric acid. In a large enough concentration it would probably do some damage to the Steel structure. But it would have to be a massive amount of pee as Uribe is only composed of a very tiny percentage of Uric Acid
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Old 02-04-2005, 09:08 AM   #3
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Quote:
Originally posted by CaptainCrunch@Feb 4 2005, 09:47 AM
If I remember my high school science a small portion of Urine is Uric acid. In a large enough concentration it would probably do some damage to the Steel structure. But it would have to be a massive amount of pee as Uribe is only composed of a very tiny percentage of Uric Acid
I remember there being a study done on why certain parts of these military planes were degrading really quickly (rust, or whatever it is) anyway turns out these "parts" were below the bathroom and all the Personal were having trouble, or not putting enough effort into thier aim....
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Old 02-04-2005, 09:28 AM   #4
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Working in the metal industry (albeit not in the Structural Steel side) I would assume that bridges would be built out of some type of corrosion resistant Stainless Steel. You would think something like that would come up when engineering one of the main structural supports of a bridge, right?
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Old 02-04-2005, 09:31 AM   #5
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Quote:
Originally posted by Tron_fdc@Feb 4 2005, 04:28 PM
Working in the metal industry (albeit not in the Structural Steel side) I would assume that bridges would be built out of some type of corrosion resistant Stainless Steel. You would think something like that would come up when engineering one of the main structural supports of a bridge, right?
Corrosion controlled stainless steel only works as well as the quality control behind its production.

So I'm not sure that its a factor.

But I keep going back to the thought that it would take thousands of gallons of pee to get enough Uric Acid to create the reaction needed to destroy the bridge structure.

Unless Ammonia damages Steel?
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Old 02-04-2005, 09:57 AM   #6
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Quote:
Originally posted by CaptainCrunch+Feb 4 2005, 04:31 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (CaptainCrunch @ Feb 4 2005, 04:31 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-Tron_fdc@Feb 4 2005, 04:28 PM
Working in the metal industry (albeit not in the Structural Steel side) I would assume that bridges would be built out of some type of corrosion resistant Stainless Steel. You would think something like that would come up when engineering one of the main structural supports of a bridge, right?
Corrosion controlled stainless steel only works as well as the quality control behind its production.

So I'm not sure that its a factor.

But I keep going back to the thought that it would take thousands of gallons of pee to get enough Uric Acid to create the reaction needed to destroy the bridge structure.

Unless Ammonia damages Steel? [/b][/quote]
It depends on the grade it is ordered in. You can order a cheap stainless steel for much less than a high grade, certified steel alloy. I'm talking steel castings (different than structural I-beam or reinforcing bar) but the codes are quite similar.

Ammonia and different types of acids DEFINATELY break down steels. We use it whenever we "etch" or "polish" samples (microscopic analysis of metallic grain structures). Not sure about somebody's whizz though....I have no idea what's in that!!
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Old 02-04-2005, 10:46 AM   #7
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Being an old Ironworker who has erected a few bridges, I have never come across the use of stainless steel. I have although seen galvanized steel and a rubberized paint [scary slippery] used fairly recently. This bridge was built in 1962 and seemingly not maintained properly. Regular sandblasting and painting has to be done. The urine , I believe, would play havoc with the paint and the iron, especially if the bridge is near saltwater, it's going to rot. Just my take on it.
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Old 02-04-2005, 12:00 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally posted by Vulcan@Feb 4 2005, 05:46 PM
Being an old Ironworker who has erected a few bridges, I have never come across the use of stainless steel. I have although seen galvanized steel and a rubberized paint [scary slippery] used fairly recently. This bridge was built in 1962 and seemingly not maintained properly. Regular sandblasting and painting has to be done. The urine , I believe, would play havoc with the paint and the iron, especially if the bridge is near saltwater, it's going to rot. Just my take on it.
What your saying makes sense.
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