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AS 4312—2008

Australia
Australian Standard®

Atmospheric corrosivity zones in

AS 4312—2008
 This Australian Standard® was prepared by Committee MT-014, Corrosion of Metals. It was
approved on behalf of the Council of Standards Australia on 18 January 2008.
This Standard was published on 19 February 2008.

The following are represented on Committee MT-014:

• Australasian Corrosion Association

• Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry
• Australian Electrolysis Committee
• Australian Pipeline Industry Association
• Australian Paint Approval Scheme
• AUSTROADS
• Blast Cleaning & Coating Association of Australia
•
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Bureau of Steel Manufacturers of Australia

• Corrosion Prevention Centre
• CSIRO Manufacturing and Materials Technology
• Galvanizers Association of Australia
• Materials Australia
• Plumbing Products Industry Group
• Water Utility Interests
• Water Services Association of Australia

This Standard was issued in draft form for comment as DR 07270.

Standards Australia wishes to acknowledge the participation of the expert individuals that
contributed to the development of this Standard through their representation on the
Committee and through the public comment period.

Keeping Standards up-to-date

Australian Standards® are living documents that reflect progress in science, technology and
systems. To maintain their currency, all Standards are periodically reviewed, and new editions
are published. Between editions, amendments may be issued.

Standards may also be withdrawn. It is important that readers assure themselves they are
using a current Standard, which should include any amendments that may have been
published since the Standard was published.

Detailed information about Australian Standards, drafts, amendments and new projects can
be found by visiting www.standards.org.au

Standards Australia welcomes suggestions for improvements, and encourages readers to

notify us immediately of any apparent inaccuracies or ambiguities. Contact us via email at
mail@standards.org.au, or write to Standards Australia, GPO Box 476, Sydney, NSW 2001.
 AS 4312—2008

Australian Standard®
This is a free 6 page sample. Access the full version at http://infostore.saiglobal.com.

Atmospheric corrosivity zones in

Australia

First published as AS 4312—2008.

COPYRIGHT
© Standards Australia
All rights are reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or copied in any form or by
any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, without the written
permission of the publisher.
Published by Standards Australia GPO Box 476, Sydney, NSW 2001, Australia
ISBN 0 7337 8555 7
 AS 4312—2008 2

PREFACE
This Standard was prepared by the Australian members of the Joint Standards
Australia/Standards New Zealand Committee MT-014, Corrosion of Metals.
After consulting with stakeholders in both countries, Standards Australia and Standards
New Zealand decided to develop this Standard as an Australian rather than an
Australian/New Zealand Standard.
The objective of this Standard is to provide guidelines for the classification of atmospheric
environments in terms of their effects on corrosion to assist with the selection of metal
finishes for ferrous products.
This Standard expands on information previously published in AS/NZS 2312, Guide to the
protection of structural steel against atmospheric corrosion by the use of protective
coatings, to provide industry with more comprehensive guidance on atmospheric
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corrosivity.
The term ‘informative’ has been used in this Standard to define the application of the
appendix to which it applies. An ‘informative’ appendix is only for information and
guidance.
 3 AS 4312—2008

CONTENTS

Page

SECTION 1 SCOPE AND GENERAL

1.1 SCOPE ........................................................................................................................ 4
1.2 APPLICATION ........................................................................................................... 4
1.3 REFERENCED DOCUMENTS .................................................................................. 4
1.4 DEFINITIONS ............................................................................................................ 5

SECTION 2 FACTORS AFFECTING CORROSION OF METALS

2.1 GENERAL .................................................................................................................. 6
2.2 MACRO-CLIMATIC FACTORS................................................................................ 6
2.3 MICRO-CLIMATIC AND DESIGN FACTORS......................................................... 8
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2.4 CORROSIVITY CATEGORIES ................................................................................. 9

2.5 ATMOSPHERIC CORROSION—METALS OTHER THAN STEEL ........................ 9

SECTION 3 CORROSIVITY ENVIRONMENTS

3.1 GENERAL ................................................................................................................ 11
3.2 ATMOSPHERIC CORROSIVITY CATEGORIES ................................................... 11

SECTION 4 DETERMINING THE CORROSIVITY ENVIRONMENT

4.1 GENERAL ................................................................................................................ 14
4.2 DETERMINING THE CORROSIVITY ENVIRONMENT....................................... 14

APPENDICES
A CORROSION ZONES............................................................................................... 16
B MEASUREMENT OF CORROSION RATES .......................................................... 25
C CORROSIVITY SURVEYS AND REFERENCES ................................................... 28
D CORROSIVITY SECTIONS IN OTHER STANDARDS.......................................... 32
 AS 4312—2008 4

STANDARDS AUSTRALIA

Australian Standard
Atmospheric corrosivity zones in Australia

SECT ION 1 SCOPE AND GENERA L

1.1 SCOPE
This Standard provides guidelines for the classification of corrosivity zones in Australia
and their effect on the corrosion of steel and other metals.
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These guidelines use corrosion rate classifications defined in ISO 9223 to delineate
atmospheric corrosivity zones. Environments which are not atmospheric, such as immersed
or underground, are not considered in this Standard.

1.2 APPLICATION
This Standard is to be used by designers and specifiers of corrosion control methods to
assist in determining the correct corrosivity zone in Australia. The influence of
microclimates is also addressed and should be considered when specifying the necessary
corrosion protection that is required.
In general, a knowledge of atmospheric corrosivity is necessary in the following corrosion
mitigation activities:
(a) Selection of protective coatings. The more severe the environment, the better the
coating system required.
(b) Maintenance of coating systems. In severe environments, maintenance is more
difficult and more urgent than less severe environments.
(c) Selection of suitable metals and metallic-coated products. The suitability, expected
life and durability of coated materials, such as zinc coated steel and metals such as
copper and stainless steels, depends on the corrosivity of the environment.
(d) Design of products and components. The importance of minimizing corrosion through
careful design and fabrication procedures becomes more important as the
environment becomes more corrosive.
NOTE: AS/NZS 2312 provides details of selection and maintenance of protective coatings, and
shows design features for minimizing corrosion.

1.3 REFERENCED DOCUMENTS

The following documents are referenced in this standard:
AS
1565 Copper and copper alloys—Ingots and castings
AS/NZS
1734 Aluminium and aluminium alloys—Flat sheet, coiled sheet and plate
1866 Aluminium and aluminium alloys—Extruded rod, bar, solid and hollow shapes
2312 Guide to the protection of structural steel against atmospheric corrosion by the
use of protective coatings
4673 Cold-formed stainless steel structures

© Standards Australia www.standards.org.au

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AS 4312-2008, Atmospheric corrosivity zones in

Australia
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