Guide for the Measurement of Electrolysis Corrosion Interference

The ACA would like to extend our thanks to Jim Hickey for providing this Guide for the benefit of ACA members.

The NSW Electrolysis Committee was established in 1932 to provide guidance to the Electricity Authority of NSW on the control of stray currents and their effects on buried structures.

Under the Electricity Supply Act 1995, and the Electricity Supply (Corrosion Protection) Regulation, cathodic protection systems including railway drainage bonds installed in the State of NSW must be approved by the relevant authority before they can be operated. At the time of preparation of this Guide that authority is vested in the Director General of the Department of Planning, Industry & Environment of NSW.

The NSW Electrolysis Committee continues to provide technical advice, co-ordination and liaison and make recommendations for approval to the Department of Planning, Industry & Environment in respect of examining, reviewing, testing and monitoring the effects of cathodic protection and railway drainage bonds.

The publication of the Guide is an integral part of providing the Department with technical advice in this very specialised field of electrolysis corrosion engineering.

The purpose of the Guide is:

1. To provide for standardisation of interference testing procedures including methods of recording and reporting results.

2. To provide consistency of interpretation of those results thus minimising the possibility of errors and disputes arising therefrom.

3. To provide technical knowledge relevant to interference testing.

4. To provide a field guide for persons involved in interference testing.

5. To promote co-operation between all interested parties through a common understanding of the complex principles and practices associated with the mitigation of interference from stray currents.