The ironclad U.S.S. MONITOR, famous for its Civil War battle with the C.S.S. VIRGINIA (MERRIMACK) was lost at sea in 1862. This vessel has an important place in naval history as it sounded the end of the wooden ship as a man-of-war, and the birth of modern naval warfare.

The wreck of the MONITOR was located in 1975. Since 1975, under the auspices of the National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration, the site has been extensively surveyed and studied. In 1987, a corrosion survey of the wreck was performed in order to both determine the condition of the wreck and to evaluate options for future actions in the management of the wreck.

The corrosion survey consisted of both surface potential and electrical field gradient (EFG) measurements. The survey established that there is considerable macro-cell electrochemical activity on the wreck and that major portions are electrically continuous. The survey also showed that instruments designed for evaluating cathodic protection levels on offshore platforms and pipelines could be used successfully to evaluate corrosion activity on submerged unprotected structures. The results of the survey will be used to plan further corrosion investigations of the U.S.S. MONITOR.

Subject
Sensors, Offshore structures, Corrosion activity, Structures, Iron, Inspection, Metallic structures, Potential measurements, Electrical continuity, Engines, Maritime, Marine vessels, Surveys
© 1989 Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP). All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of AMPP. Positions and opinions advanced in this work are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of AMPP. Responsibility for the content of the work lies solely with the author(s).
1989
Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP)
You do not currently have access to this content.