The National Bureau of Standards has determined that the national cost of corrosion in 1975 was $70 billion plus or minus 30% with about 15% of the total avoidable and the uncertainty in the latter figure even greater—running from 10 to 45% of the total $70 billion. One flippant reaction to this result is: "What's new!" The NBS result follows the extrapolation from earlier numbers and other national economies. The $70 billion number is about 4% of the U.S. GNP in 1975. This number seems to be some kind of a constant for all economies.
What is new about the study is its quality. Three major organizations participated. It was requested by the Congress. It was conducted by the National Bureau of Standards. And much of the data was gathered and interpreted by Battelle Columbus Laboratories. The final report is entitled: "Economic Effects of Metallic Corrosion in the United States—A...
