Water infrastructure in the United States is critical to the domestic economy, commerce, and resource management. There are thousands of existing hydraulic steel structures (HSS) that require regular maintenance and upkeep. Original methods to protect HSS are disfavored or no longer used due to environmental and safety concerns. Newer approaches to corrosion control suffer from higher costs, shorter service life, and reduced efficacy. In order to address rising maintenance costs and to advance the state of the art for corrosion control, the Bureau of Reclamation, in collaboration with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, launched the Rust Busters Challenge. The challenge seeks to identify and develop new methods for corrosion control and offers the opportunity for the most compelling approaches to be evaluated and field-tested by leading experts.
Partner Organizations: United States Bureau of Reclamation; U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Award: $350,000
Open Date: August 22, 2019
Close Date: Phase 1 – January 16, 2020; Phase 2 – September 11, 2020
For more information, visit https://www.herox.com/RustBusters