On a recent episode of "factory made" on the manufacture of light rail
cars they mentioned that the frames were made of what they called
"weathering steel" which was described as an alloy which only develop
surface rust which prevents further rusting.
If there is such a thing, I'm wondering why they don't use it on
automobile frames?
What advantages would it have over galvanized steel?

Engineman

"engineman" wrote in message
...
On a recent episode of "factory made" on the manufacture of light rail
cars they mentioned that the frames were made of what they called
"weathering steel" which was described as an alloy which only develop
surface rust which prevents further rusting.
If there is such a thing, I'm wondering why they don't use it on
automobile frames?
What advantages would it have over galvanized steel?

Engineman

It's been around since the 1960s, and the first well-known brand of it was
(and is) called Cor-Ten. In the early days it was considered to be a
specialty variety of HSLA -- high-strength, low-alloy steel. Today, I think
they avoiding classifying it that way.

Sometimes it works; sometimes it doesn't. The big steel sculpture in
Chicago, by Picasso, was made out of the stuff decades ago. So are the guard
rails on the lower end of the Garden State Parkway. Take a look at some
examples and see what you think.

Meantime, Wikipedia has a decent summary of it, plus good links.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weathering_steel

--
Ed Huntress

In addition to Ed's excellent explanation, Cor-Ten was also used briefly is boat building. Specifically, for rescue craft for the
British Life Boat service. What was found was that it was hard to work and resisted shape forming as well as it had very poor
fatigue resistance.Continuous flexing caused plate fracture. This would not be a good thing if used in truck frames. It is still
used in building construction for external appearance and statues.
Steve

"engineman" wrote in message ...
On a recent episode of "factory made" on the manufacture of light rail
cars they mentioned that the frames were made of what they called
"weathering steel" which was described as an alloy which only develop
surface rust which prevents further rusting.
If there is such a thing, I'm wondering why they don't use it on
automobile frames?
What advantages would it have over galvanized steel?

Engineman

John -
Rusty Bucket - the old (now gone) total sealed Fab. Fairchild Semiconductor.

There are other examples in San Jose.

It gives a redish rust and it is tough.

Also - the greenish rust on 'Army' rifles is a rust that locks out
other versions of rust.



engineman wrote:
On a recent episode of "factory made" on the manufacture of light rail
cars they mentioned that the frames were made of what they called
"weathering steel" which was described as an alloy which only develop
surface rust which prevents further rusting.
If there is such a thing, I'm wondering why they don't use it on
automobile frames?
What advantages would it have over galvanized steel?

Engineman

On Apr 24, 9:01*pm, "Martin H. Eastburn"
wrote:
John -
Rusty Bucket - the old (now gone) total sealed Fab. *Fairchild Semiconductor.

There are other examples in San Jose.

It gives a redish rust and it is tough.

Also - the greenish rust on 'Army' rifles is a rust that locks out
other versions of rust.



Army rifle finish is parkerizing, or properly "Parkerizing", since it
is/was a finish of the Parker company. That's a phosphate finish, not
oxide, so not "rust".

Stan

engineman writes:

On a recent episode of "factory made" on the manufacture of light rail
cars they mentioned that the frames were made of what they called
"weathering steel" which was described as an alloy which only develop
surface rust which prevents further rusting.

http://images.google.com/images?q=uris%20hall%20cornell

"Ed Huntress" wrote in message
...

"engineman" wrote in message
...
On a recent episode of "factory made" on the manufacture of light rail
cars they mentioned that the frames were made of what they called
"weathering steel" which was described as an alloy which only develop
surface rust which prevents further rusting.
If there is such a thing, I'm wondering why they don't use it on
automobile frames?
What advantages would it have over galvanized steel?

Engineman

It's been around since the 1960s, and the first well-known brand of it was
(and is) called Cor-Ten. In the early days it was considered to be a
specialty variety of HSLA -- high-strength, low-alloy steel. Today, I
think they avoiding classifying it that way.

Sometimes it works; sometimes it doesn't. The big steel sculpture in
Chicago, by Picasso, was made out of the stuff decades ago. So are the
guard rails on the lower end of the Garden State Parkway. Take a look at
some examples and see what you think.

Meantime, Wikipedia has a decent summary of it, plus good links.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weathering_steel

--
Ed Huntress


we've got some sea going containers that are used for workshop/storage -
they've a sticker inside them stating they are made from Corten - now I know
a little more about it!

On Apr 24, 8:50*am, engineman wrote:
On a recent episode of "factory made" on the manufacture of light rail
cars they mentioned that the frames were made of what they called
"weathering steel" which was described as an alloy which only develop
surface rust which prevents further rusting.
If there is such a thing, I'm wondering why they don't use it on
automobile frames?
What advantages would it have over galvanized steel?

Engineman

They made Aloha Stadium out of it and found out it doesn't work in
Hawaii.
Karl

wrote in message
...
On Apr 24, 8:50 am, engineman wrote:
On a recent episode of "factory made" on the manufacture of light rail
cars they mentioned that the frames were made of what they called
"weathering steel" which was described as an alloy which only develop
surface rust which prevents further rusting.
If there is such a thing, I'm wondering why they don't use it on
automobile frames?
What advantages would it have over galvanized steel?

Engineman

They made Aloha Stadium out of it and found out it doesn't work in
Hawaii.
Karl



they're replacing corten guardrails in new york
(when i saw this article last year i thought "this is a god damned scam,
somebody's brother's uncle is a metals distributor and his nephew owns a
scrap yard". they're pumping it up in the name of safety so they can blow
wads of money.)


http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbc...NEWS/903180343


By BY MATT KING
Times Herald-Record
Published: 2:00 AM - 03/18/09
BEAR MOUNTAIN - The metal guardrails along the Palisades Interstate Parkway
are supposed to look weathered so as to blend with the views on the scenic
byway.

But the job of guardrails is to protect drivers from careening off the road,
and the metal rails don't work - at least not as well as they were supposed
to.

That's why the state is asking for a total of $121 million in federal
stimulus funds to replace rails such as these, which were purchased with an
eye more toward form than function.

-snip-

In article ,
"William Wixon" wrote:

wrote in message
...
On Apr 24, 8:50 am, engineman wrote:
On a recent episode of "factory made" on the manufacture of light rail
cars they mentioned that the frames were made of what they called
"weathering steel" which was described as an alloy which only develop
surface rust which prevents further rusting.
If there is such a thing, I'm wondering why they don't use it on
automobile frames?
What advantages would it have over galvanized steel?

Engineman

They made Aloha Stadium out of it and found out it doesn't work in
Hawaii.
Karl



they're replacing corten guardrails in new york
(when i saw this article last year i thought "this is a god damned scam,
somebody's brother's uncle is a metals distributor and his nephew owns a
scrap yard". they're pumping it up in the name of safety so they can blow
wads of money.)


http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbc...NEWS/903180343


My recollection is that it turned out that Cor-Ten doesn't handle salt well.


Joe Gwinn

On Sun, 25 Apr 2010 13:18:31 -0400, Joseph Gwinn wrote:



My recollection is that it turned out that Cor-Ten doesn't handle salt well.


Joe Gwinn


It was never intended to. Doesn't stop people from specifying it in the wrong
locations though :-(


Mark Rand
RTFM

Mark Rand fired this volley in
:

It was never intended to. Doesn't stop people from specifying it in
the wrong locations though :-(


Like sea shipping containers? G Most of them are Cor-Ten steel.

(I missed the beginning of this thread... this may be what it was all
about)

LLoyd

"Joseph Gwinn" wrote
My recollection is that it turned out that Cor-Ten doesn't handle salt
well.


Joe Gwinn

I own two forty foot containers that are CorTen. Go figger. Maybe that is
why they use them once and then sell them.

Steve

On Sun, 25 Apr 2010 17:40:50 -0500, "Lloyd E. Sponenburgh"
lloydspinsidemindspring.com wrote:

Mark Rand fired this volley in
:

It was never intended to. Doesn't stop people from specifying it in
the wrong locations though :-(


Like sea shipping containers? G Most of them are Cor-Ten steel.

(I missed the beginning of this thread... this may be what it was all
about)

LLoyd


It'll last much better than mild steel, and if paint is scratched, won't
undercut so badly. But there's a difference between a container that can be
scrapped after 10-20 years and a multi-story building that's a bad bargain if
it only lasts 50 :-)


Mark Rand
RTFM