A drumbeat of ongoing reports from around the globe testify to the growing problem of weakening infrastructure: collapsing bridges, broken pipelines; sewer explosions, rail crashes. According to a new book, a major cause of this roll call of mishaps is the ongoing oxidation of structural metals, i.e. good old fashioned rust. What makes this especially dangerous is we know the corrosion is occurring, but in many cases it can’t be seen.
Rust: The Longest War by Jonathan Waldman catalogs the ongoing damage caused by corrosion, including its impact on America’s energy industry — which earned a grade of D+ in the most recent Report Card for America’s Infrastructure from the American Society of Civil Engineers. The problem? Public and private dollars have been poured into building America’s infrastructure. They have been in limited supply for the task of maintaining it.