Railings/Walkways/Stairs

This page shows examples of successful molybdenum-containing stainless steel applications in demanding environments.

Queens West Pier, New York, USA

Type 316 stainless steel railings and street furniture

This pier which is jutting into the East River was built in 2002. The water of the East River is brackish and contains high levels of (salt) chlorides. The railing and street furniture have only been cleaned by rain and most of the Type 316 stainless steel has remained clean and attractive with no corrosion staining.

However, there are some sections of railing that show corrosion staining because they are being splashed by brackish water. As waves hit the rocks at the river bank, the water is being splashed upward at the railings. In the splash zone, where brackish water regularly wets the stainless steel, a higher molybdenum, more corrosion resistant stainless steel and a smoother surface finish may be necessary to avoid frequent manual cleaning.

IMOA is conducting a testing program in the splash zone to compare the performance of different stainless steel grades and surface finishes.