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Is 18-8 Stainless Steel good for a bridge railing?

Is 18-8 stainles steel pipe a good choice for a open weather hand rail on a bridge?

Robert Harrison
Bridge Inspector - Milwaukee, Wisconsin
2004

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Yes. if passivated or electropolished it will outlast the bridge.

Jeffrey Holmes, CEF
Spartanburg, South Carolina
2004

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Compared to what? Since you salt your roads in the winter, I would expect rust and pitting. If the pipe were electropolished and sprayed with a clear protective coating, it would last longer and would look better. 316SS costs a little more, but would last longer. There are high nickel alloys that will last even longer, but are not as strong and cost a great deal more. Paintd steel has been used for years. Some bridges in the us have been thermal (flame) sprayed with zinc and then painted for a truly superior longevity.

James Watts
- Navarre, Florida
2004

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Yes - passivation and/or polishing is fine, in that stainless steels rely on a chromium oxide film to provide the corrosion protection, which is enhanced by both those methods. But you don't give any info on how exposed the site is, what the rest of the bridge structure is composed of, and what the rail is connected to, and what crevices or welds are in the design. These will all cause problems however well protected the rails are.

Regards,

Martin Rich
- Plymouth, UK
2004

What is the ASTM specification code for the stainless steel grade than can be used for bridge hand railing.

Ahamed Najeeb
Construction Engineer - Muscat, Oman
December 13, 2008

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