An ad hoc committee of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine will conduct a study that will solicit input from the geotechnical and civil engineering and materials sciences technical communities to critically examine the state of knowledge and technical issues regarding the corrosion of steel used in earth applications (e.g., for ground stabilization, pipelines, and infrastructure foundations) and subsurface environments (e.g., unconsolidated earth or rock in different geologic settings). The study committee will

• Summarize the primary mechanisms for corrosion of bare or coated steel buried within earth materials under different geologic conditions;
• Assess the current state of practice for characterizing native and constructed earth and the subsurface environment for properties that contribute to or influence corrosion and corrosion rates; and
• Assess the use, efficacy, and uncertainties associated with methods for predicting, identifying, and monitoring corrosion of steel in earth materials for new and at in-service facilities.

The study will include a workshop on field, laboratory, and modeling methods for characterizing corrosion of steel buried in earth materials and new developments in the prediction and monitoring of corrosion of steel in earth applications and environments. The final report will identify gaps in knowledge and the short- and long-term research needed to improve the long-term performance of steel in earth applications.