On Monday, 2nd March 2026, ICorr participated in the Parliamentary and Scientific Committee (P and SC) meeting at the House of Parliament titled “How microbes are a crucially overlooked part of environmental and biodiversity legislation”. The session brought together leading scientists, engineers, academic institutions, and policymakers to examine the increasingly recognised influence of microbial systems across industrial sectors.
Microbial communities underpin a wide range of natural and engineered processes. Their adaptability enables them to thrive in environments spanning the energy sector, agriculture, water treatment and infrastructure, marine and freshwater systems, and the pulp and paper industry, among others. Within the oil and gas sector, specific microbial groups are strongly associated with microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) and reservoir souring—both of which carry significant environmental, operational and financial implications. Conversely, beneficial microbial populations offer opportunities for bioremediation, selective anti-souring strategies and potentially microbially enhanced oil recovery (MEOR), supporting improved resource efficiency and environmental performance.
This duality formed a central theme of the meeting: microbial ecosystems must be better understood, monitored and integrated into future environmental and biodiversity legislation. Effective policy must recognise both the detrimental impacts of harmful microbial activity and the potential advantages of harnessing beneficial microbial processes.
Discussions throughout the event emphasised the need for more environmentally responsible industrial practices, including the adoption of less persistent, more targeted interventions. Working with microbial diversity— rather than inadvertently disrupting it—was highlighted as essential for long-term operational resilience and the development of modern, science based regulatory frameworks.
ICorr remains committed to supporting evidence driven policy development and advancing sustainable, technically robust practices across the corrosion and materials sectors. As microbial science continues to evolve, ICorr will continue to provide expertise to ensure that legislation reflects current understanding and supports innovation in corrosion management.
We are pleased to announce that the Institute of Corrosion is partnering with the Royal Academy of Engineering for our upcoming CED Conference on Corrosion Awareness Day 2026 (24 April).
This collaboration represents an important step forward in bringing engineering organisations together to raise awareness of corrosion and its impact across industry.
The conference, “NetCorr – Corrosion Challenges in CCUS Applications”, will bring together experts from industry, academia and research to explore the key corrosion and integrity challenges associated with carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS).
We are also pleased to confirm that this year’s conference is supported by a strong group of sponsors, including:
This is a fantastic opportunity to gain insight into real-world challenges, engage with leading experts, and visit active corrosion testing facilities.
Places are limited, and we are already seeing strong interest.
This industry leading course provides direct access to professional membership of ICorr, for those with relevant experience. Corrosion management, failures and remediation commonly occur throughout all branches of engineering where metals are part of the structure or process. FOCE is a corrosion course that covers the basic principles of corrosion that are needed by engineers to understand why and how failures occur, actions that can be taken to manage the ongoing corrosion and/or remediate the structure, and options to prevent further corrosion, where possible. The course is presented as a series of modules, starting with essential background information about the corrosion process and then applying the basic principles to common engineering metals, including stainless steel, aluminium, and copper alloys.
Both the general and the different types of localised corrosion such as crevices, pitting, bi-metallic corrosion, etc., is considered. Common atmospheric and immersed conditions, re-bar in concrete, high-temperature atmospheres, water treatment, buried pipes, etc are considered to understand corrosion.
Corrosion management strategies, including material selection, cathodic protection, surface preparation, coatings, chemical treatments, inhibitors, etc., are included in the course.
The role of the corrosion engineer is described and includes investigation of failed components, inspection, and testing of samples, with practical examples and case histories included in the course notes.
As a classroom-based course, FOCE is provided in English by an experienced, practicing corrosion consultant. A copy of the training material is provided to each attendee. Questions and active participation are encouraged throughout the course, as many participants enjoy learning about the additional real-life examples that are provided by fellow attendees. Fun quizzes are held each morning so both the candidates and the tutor can assess their progress during the week on an ongoing basis. One-on-one sessions can be arranged where a student has a specific module requirement.
The learning modules are given over four intensive days, and candidates for the examination on the final day are encouraged to revise the material each evening to ensure that they understand the course content.
At the end of the course, all attendees are given a Certificate of Attendance, which shows that they have been present for all the modules.
After passing the examination, participants receive a Certificate of Achievement, which demonstrates that they have received sufficient corrosion training to apply directly for a Professional grade of Membership of ICorr, such as TICorr or MICorr, depending on the other requirements of the membership grade.
Previous attendees of the course have ranged from complete beginners in corrosion (zero previous knowledge) to practicing Corrosion Consultants and some of the comments received from participants are given below.
Please note that FOCE specifically geared for professional membership is not a Cathodic Protection or Protective Coatings Inspector type course and does not provide these qualifications. Those courses are available separately through ICorr’s specialist training providers and further details are available on the ICorr website.
ICorr also offers many other specialist courses in Microbial Corrosion, Oil and Gas related corrosion topics, intumescent coatings, etc. Details of all ICorr courses are available on the Institute website.
The next FOCE course will be held at Corrosion House in Northampton 14 – 18 September 2026.
FOCE course cost is currently £1650 + VAT and includes a copy of the course notes, lunch each day plus tea and coffee.
The course fee must be paid in full before the delegate can attend the course. Potential delegates can fill in the application form on the website and contact ICorr for making payments.
Additional dates in 2026 will be posted in Corrosion Management magazine and on the ICorr website: https://www.icorr.org/fundamentals-of-corrosion-for-engineers/
Recent feedback from delegates
Great course, which I will certainly recommend to others.
The (redacted) project and myself have definitely gained as a result. With the knowledge gained I have been identifying issues on site and poor practices that are now being addressed. As a result Line Managers have sent me to undertake checks of the Civil Engineering works in areas I do not normally inspect.
I really enjoyed the course – you have a great teaching style, very clear and logical, it made the material easy to follow.
Earlier this month, ICorr was proudly represented by Dr Tony Rizk at the P&SC session on “How microbes are a crucially overlooked part of environmental and biodiversity legislation.” The event brought together scientists, engineers, academics, and policymakers to explore the vital role microbial systems play across industry.
Microbial communities underpin critical processes in energy, agriculture, water treatment, marine and freshwater ecosystems, and the pulp and paper sector. In oil and gas, certain groups are linked to MIC and reservoir souring, while others offer promising routes for bioremediation, selective anti-souring, and potentially MEOR.
A key takeaway: future legislation must better recognise, monitor, and integrate microbial ecosystems, acknowledging both the risks and the opportunities they present.
The session also called for more environmentally responsible industrial practices that work with microbial diversity, rather than disrupt it, to support long-term operational resilience and modern, science-based regulation.
ICorr remains committed to supporting evidence-driven policy and advancing sustainable, technically robust practices across the corrosion and materials sectors.
Dr. Tony Rizk (ICorr) and Mr. Roger Casale (Parliamentary and Scientific Committee) photographed at the Palace of Westminster.
Kevin Harold is a Director at Paintel Ltd. He is a Level 3 ICorr Painting Inspector and Technical Director of Paintel Ltd. and has been involved with painting and coatings for nearly 50 years. Kevin is the retiring Correx Managing Director and also a Correx (Institute of Corrosion) ICATS trainer. During 2025, Paintel was awarded a new Painting / Inspection / Maintenance contract to refurbish and maintain the important Tamar Bridge crossing, running for the next 10 years. The company has maintained the structure since 1999.
Thomas Harold is employed as the Paintel Contracts Manager and is also a Director of Paintel Ltd. He is IPAF & IRATA qualified and an ICorr Level 2 Painting Inspector and ICATS approved Industrial Painting Supervisor with more than 15 years’ experience of applying protective coatings.
Introduction
This article is about the environmental effects and maintenance painting required for ‘Atmospheric Corrosion Control’ on exposed bridge structures and, in particular, the Tamar Bridge linking Devon and Cornwall on the A38 trunk road.
Spanning the River Tamar by the side of Brunel’s famous Saltash railway bridge, the new Tamar Road bridge provided an important new link by road between the City of Plymouth and the county of Cornwall. It was opened in October 1961; it has a total suspended length of around 335 meters plus two side spans and a water-level clearance of between 32 and 35 meters. All in all, a weighty corrosion problem.
Photo: Overview of the Tamar Bridge With Cheery Picker Painting Maintenance Ongoing.
The structure carries around 50,000 vehicles per day in each direction. and is located in a fairly aggressive marine environment, towering over the river Tamar as it flows further into Cornwall in one direction and towards Devonport Dockyard in the other. The bridge has been in continual service since opening, even when it had two cantilevers added and coated during 1999-2000, under the supervision of Paintel.
Corrosivity of Bridge Environment
Its corrosivity classification in accordance with ISO 12944 (the accepted standard that sets out rules for the protection of assets from corrosion by use of coating systems and paint, originally released in 1998) probably ranges between a C4 and C5 (high to very high), plus the effects of the driving Southwest rain and winds, keeping it wet/damp for long periods, and also depending on the geography of the structure, causing corrosion deposits to build up.
The Tamar Bridge’s unique location over the tidal River Tamar and exposure to marine elements means site-specific monitoring and protection are critical for its structural integrity. Engineers conduct routine inspections normally every four months and use advanced techniques including test gauges to measure the depth of corrosion on main cable ropes, to monitor the progression of corrosion.
Challenges and Costs
The bridge’s annual maintenance cost is approximately £2 million, with significant, multi-million-pound projects funded by tolls to specifically address issues like corrosion and deck resurfacing.
As with many similar suspension type bridges, preparation and re-painting of the Tamar Bridge is not without its challenges. When you drive over any bridge you tend to only notice everything at ground/deck level, occasionally you might glance up to the towers and think my goodness that’s high or how on earth do you access that?
Working on tower tops or beams roadside of course involves significant challenges, as does painting beneath the deck level, and that is the case for all types of bridge structures really.
Photo: Distance Harness Assisted Solvent Wash Under Deck.
The steel arrangement beneath deck levels can appear to be very complex and once again your thoughts turn to how would you go about accessing what you might think is particularly inaccessible. Each area not only comes with access challenges but also must address the type and classification of corrosion at any location and how fast it may be progressing, particularly with structurally important fixings and smaller detail areas where corrosion is simply not acceptable.
Maintenance Painting Process and Access
Of course, it would very helpful if you could scaffold a bridge or structure every time maintenance was required or there was a permanent one in place (designed-in), but this can be expensive and time consuming and a quicker fix is often what’s required, providing of course, the quicker fix is acceptable and safe to all.
Access options at the Tamar Bridge do include scaffolds, but only when other methods are considered too dangerous or the works required will be of long duration. The Tamar Bridge has 4 gantries, two main deck and two cantilever gantries; these give access to many locations, but not directly underneath the deck and some other important areas.
Paintel has a MEWP (Mobile Elevating Working Platform)-trained team as well as a RAT (rope access trained) team using rope access methods for preparing, painting, repairing or cleaning surfaces. All these techniques allow us to paint areas that might appear at first to be inaccessible.
Photo: MEWP (Mobile ElevatingWorkingPlatform).
Selective Corrosion Repair Sites
You would have heard people say, “It’s like painting the Forth Bridge; I suppose you start at one end and work towards the other and then start again,” but this couldn’t be further from the truth. Corrosion is very selective, and the geography and geometry of a structure play a huge part in corrosion risk and corrosion rates, as well as the conditions each part is exposed to. Then add in some contamination, and different types appear: general, pitting, crevice and galvanic, to mention a few.
Corrosion first needs a base metal, steel most commonly, an electrolyte, water, or other, and of course oxygen to corrode/ oxidise any steel. Corrosion areas and rates vary considerably across the structure according to geometry and degree of exposure.
Photo: Bridge Hangar Painting.
Geography and Geometry
High sections (pier/tower tops) are prone to additional exposure, high and low temperatures, intense UV light, continuous wetting and drying, and North, South, East or West perspectives. Of which South dries the most, North dries the least, West is wetter, and East will be cooler; all of these conditions affect corrosion rates.
Many of these areas are accessed by ‘rope access’ methods, as many of the team are IRATA (Industrial Rope Access Trade Association) trained, with a level 3 RAT Team Lead.
Photo: Metal Coating Using A Trug.
RAT work necessitates:
A Head for Heights
Exposure to extremes of Climate
High levels of Fitness
The compensation for operatives is some of the best views a person can have.
Deck/Road Level – Traffic Issues
Exposed, but not the same exposure as the tops of the towers. Higher and lower temperatures. Temperatures can be higher at this level due to radiated heat from the road surface, lower windage and other protection from parapets/tower bottoms and cabins/storage areas. UV intensity remains high, and many surfaces remain wet for long periods due to drainage design with water weepage long after rain has stopped. Contaminated surfaces from traffic activity and the effects of north, south, east or west winds, perspectives all contributing additional corrosion effects.
Temperatures can be lower due to more standing water and ice during the winter and additional shading from piers and storage containers. Surfaces are also wetted and dried continuously with the additional consideration of contaminants.
Pollution from passing vehicles, salt from salt spreaders during winter months, and sludges created by dirt and wet from vehicles that do not dry all add to ongoing corrosion rates and challenges.
Below Deck
These areas are often the most prolific in terms of workload. Much more structural steel is being affected by microclimates. Other factors that influence corrosion rates include being closer to the water/river, rain run-off (from the deck), salt contamination from road salting and bird contamination. Little or no direct sunlight and non-drying of surfaces, sludges and slurry build-up accelerate corrosion rates enormously.
Photo: RAT Based Pressure Cleaning Activities.
Preparation and Painting Specifications
Because of the environmental difficulties associated with blasting, set-up, noise, encapsulation, danger, dust, time factor, clean-up, and spillage, all the preparation prior to painting is done by mechanical preparation standards. This is therefore normally done using small tools like needle guns, grinders, sanders, scrapers, etc., but not before precleaning with degreaser to remove most of the dirt and grease. All surfaces are then prepared to an ISO 8501-1 ‘very thorough’ surface preparation. Once an area of preparation is complete and re-cleaned, it is then inspected for quality control for acceptance. After acceptance, all areas receive a multi-coat paint system of:
The final dry film thickness (DFT) is in excess of 300 microns throughout (higher at spot primed locations).
The paint system being utilised can change depending on prevailing corrosion classification to include additional build with MIO, micaceous iron oxide. The bridge is subjected to a maximum of 6 monthly inspections, sometimes more frequent depending on the site zone, and these inspections flag up the more corroded affected areas, and they become priority work packages. Paint is most usually applied by brush and roller. This avoids problems associated with potential overspray and sheeting issues.
Photo: Incline Cable Painting.
Paint Lifetime Expectancy
In the coating business we often discuss and compare lifetime expectations of different types of preparation and painting techniques. Although many would argue that there is nothing better than blasting prior to painting with all the rules in place, as experienced coating applicators, we have proven ‘year on year’ that if you do thoroughly clean surfaces, prepare to the correct standard and paint to the specification, then this work will also last a very long time, often 10 years plus. Our extensive work on the Tamar Bridge has proved this conclusively.
References
BS EN ISO 12944 (2019) – Multi-part Document – Corrosion protection of steel structures by protective paint systems.
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