The article developed an improved physical and mathematical model of the corrosive wear of zinc coating of steel structures in a city. The research is based on full-scale experimental data for determining the wear of a zinc coating of full-scale metal spatial structures of frame road structures for informational safety systems on roads after 10 years of operation in the conditions of Kyiv. The frame structure consists of metal columns and a steel crossbar frame. The crossbar frame is a spatial block of two steel trusses. The block of trusses is assembled from unified spatial sections united by vertical and horizontal ties, and which are connected by flange nodes of a special design. All structural elements are made of rolled tubes. Based on the research results, an approach to assessing the physical wear of the zinc coating of the spatial structural system is proposed.
According to the peculiarities of the arrangement of elements in frame structures, and, accordingly, to different conditions and operations, an approach is proposed to assess the corrosive wear of a zinc coating for various groups of elements: columns, spatial block of two steel trusses, flange nodes.
The physical and mathematical model is based on the working hypothesis of uneven wear of the zinc coating over time. It was found that for each group of structural elements, the conditions of the gaseous environment, the effects of atmospheric precipitation, wind speed, temperature changes individually affect the reduction of the zinc coating. The obtained experimental data were used to determine the parameter of the rate of decrease in the zinc coating of the physical and mathematical model. The results of the research and the development of the methodology helped to establish the operating conditions of the zinc coating according to the criterion of the rate of wear of the zinc coating, to classify the category of aggressiveness of the environment for each group of structural elements. Also, studies allow predicting the service life by reducing the thickness of the zinc coating, as well as the wear of the zinc coating in time in the subsequent period of operation.
The methodology is universal and can be extended to other types of galvanized metal structures.