Abstract
In this study, performance tests, a field evaluation, and a life cycle cost (LCC) analysis for high performance coating systems were conducted to prepare a plan to reduce the cost of maintenance coating and contribute to the service life extension of steel bridges by applying high performance coatings to steel bridges that will be constructed in the future. From the deterioration models based on the field evaluation for chlorinated rubber and urethane topcoat systems, which have been applied often, the mean service lives were derived as 20.8 and 26.6 years, respectively. For the other coating systems that have not been applied in practice, the coordination factors were differentially applied with evaluation items. The most durable coating system was predicted to be thermal spray coating (TSC) primer/epoxy intermediate coat/fluoride resin topcoat, with a predicted value as long as 42.2 years. The LCC analysis indicates that partial application of high performance coating, such as TSC and fluoride resin, to specific parts vulnerable to corrosion and ultraviolet ray (UV) is more advantageous than the use of general coating systems.