Call for Submissions: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Ship

Date: Friday, September 11, 2026

Overview:

Engineering design is a complicated process that includes design for purpose, manufacturability, inspection, and maintenance. One of the considerations often overlooked in designing manufactured products is drainage. The corrosion of the automobile side panel above could have been minimized by providing drainage to allow any water and debris to fall off of the car instead of collecting and causing corrosion from the far side of the panel.

All of the other methods of corrosion control should be considered in the design process.

Background:

Materials Selection
Carbon Steel

Most large metal structures are made from carbon steel-the world’s most useful structural material. Carbon steel is inexpensive, readily available in a variety of forms, and can be machined, welded, and formed into many shapes.

This large statue by Pablo Picasso in front of the Chicago city hall is made from a special form of carbon steel known as weathering steel. Weathering steel does not need painting in many boldly exposed environments. Unfortunately, weathering steel has been misused in many circumstances where it could not drain and form a protective rust film. This has given the alloy a mixed reputation in the construction industry.