Corrosion and durability of materials used in the building industry

Materials used in construction and building envelopes—pre-painted steels, cladding, profiles, fasteners—are exposed throughout their service life to a wide range of environments: marine, urban, industrial, and rural. The durability of these materials directly impacts building energy performance, aesthetics, and maintenance costs. The French Corrosion Institute is a partner and coordinator of numerous collaborative R\&D projects with the construction industry, actively contributing to the evaluation and development of innovative solutions for pre-painted products.

The French Corrosion Institute, a long-standing partner of the building industry

The building and construction industry is one of the founding domains of the French Corrosion Institute. From its earliest years, the Institute established itself as a leading player in France for assessing the durability of construction materials exposed to corrosion, particularly pre-painted steels (coil coating) used in building envelopes, cladding, and metal profiles.
This recognized expertise has led to a key strategic decision: the transfer to France of the MRC (Member Research Consortium) dedicated to the corrosion of pre-painted steels, previously hosted in Sweden. This relocation reflects the trust placed by major industry stakeholders—steelmakers, paint formulators, and coating manufacturers—in the French Corrosion Institute to lead large-scale international collaborative research programs.

Our missions for the building sector

Assess the corrosion resistance of pre-painted products across different markets and environments.
Study the application of new environmentally friendly products.
Support the development of pre-painted products with enhanced long-term resistance.
Evaluate the corrosion resistance of pre-painted materials with specific surface functionalities.

Our services to qualify coil coated materials

Technically, our expertise covers the entire evaluation cycle of pre-painted materials:

Laboratory testing: neutral or acetic salt spray, cyclic corrosion, Bac-Ford test, continuous condensation (QCT), UV-condensation—to reproduce and accelerate real aging mechanisms.
Exposure under natural conditions on a global network of atmospheric sites, covering all corrosivity categories from C2 to CX (in accordance with EN 10169), from rural environments to the most aggressive marine zones.
Characterization of indoor and outdoor atmospheres in accordance with ISO 9223, ISO 9225, and ISO 9226 standards, to precisely qualify the exposure conditions experienced by materials.
Analysis of corrosion mechanisms affecting zinc alloys and organic coatings, combined with the development of dedicated sensors for real-time monitoring of atmospheric phenomena.
Consulting and material selection, failure analysis, and support for the development of new formulations, including low-energy polymerization technologies.

Thanks to this integrated approach—from fundamental research to real-world testing—the French Corrosion Institute supports manufacturers in bringing to market pre-painted products that are more durable, higher-performing, and better aligned with current regulatory and environmental requirements.

dégradation d'un revêtement prélaqué (coil coating) après exposition atmosphérique

Qualification de la corrosivité d'un site d'exposition

influence de la distance à la mer sur la corrosion

R&D projects on pre-painted steels – MRC “Corrosion of coil coated steels” Committee

Today, the French Corrosion Institute coordinates, within the ARCOR association, cost-shared projects bringing together major players across the construction value chain: ArcelorMittal, BlueScope, Hyundai Steel, SSAB, Tata Steel, Ternium, VM Building Solutions, Voestalpine, AkzoNobel, Beckers, SNCZ, Henkel, BASF, PPG, and Sherwin-Williams. These collaborations enable the pooling of knowledge and accelerate the development of innovative solutions to meet growing challenges in durability and environmental compliance.

The MRC’s research activities focus on the study of corrosion properties of pre-painted steels, assessed through testing under both outdoor and laboratory conditions, as well as on the performance analysis of zinc-alloy metallic coatings in aggressive environments. This work is supported by an in-depth investigation of fundamental corrosion mechanisms, helping to improve the durability and reliability of materials. In addition, corrosion sensors tailored to atmospheric environments are developed and deployed to ensure real-time monitoring of evolving phenomena. Finally, topics related to industrial processes are also addressed, with particular attention given to the development of energy-efficient technologies, contributing to more sustainable and environmentally friendly production.

→ Want to know more about ARCOR association and our MRC?