Magnetic Detection of Steel Corrosion at a Buried Position Near the Ground Level Using a Magnetic Resistance Sensor

Corrosion of steel structures, such as lighting and road marker poles, located in close proximity to or buried within the ground have become a social problem. Steel corrosion has been observed to occur rather easily near the ground level. However, corrosion detection in parts of steel structures buried within the ground is very difficult. To address this concern, a magnetic resistance testing system for detecting corrosion in buried steel structures has been developed using a tilted magnetic sensor probe, and it is based on our independently developed extremely low-frequency eddy-current testing methodology. The magnetic sensor probe comprises an anisotropic magnetic resistance sensor, induction coil, and small cancellation coil. The applied magnetic field was operated at extremely low frequencies between 1 and 100 Hz, and the magnetic spectrum, which was traced using the real and imaginary parts of the detected magnetic signal at each frequency, was analyzed for estimating changes in steel thickness. Test samples comprising 4 mm thick stainless steel plates with a partial thinning zone varying in depth between 0.5 and 3.0 mm were used during measurements. Changes in thickness were detected at locations other than the thinning zone by using the differential-magnetic-intensity-subtracted magnetic vector of frequency 1 Hz from that of frequency 20 Hz detected by the tilted magnetic sensor probe. Moreover, the depth of corrosion and its corresponding location beneath the ground level were estimated via measuring techniques involving the use of magnetic sensor probes in the separated position or at different tilt angles in the same position.