Can the SKT or FLEAT be supplied in weathering steel such as Corten?
• The FHWA has recently taken the position that weathering steel such as Cor-Ten should not be used in the guardrail barriers or terminals because deterioration of the steel weakens the rail which could cause the rail to fail during traffic face or end-on impacts. Through the years, SKT and FLEAT terminals with weathering steel rail sections have been installed. The guardrail sections were permitted to be weathering steel but the impact heads were not. The impact heads are fabricated from high-strength steel and those material properties must be maintained. The impact heads were painted brown after being hot-dipped galvanized to match the weathering steel. We recommend these weathering steel terminals be monitored for deterioration of the rail sections. Powder coating over a galvanized surface is another excellent option.
