CORROSION ESTIMATION DEVICE AND METHOD
In a first step, a pretreatment for measuring a moisture characteristic of soil is performed. The pretreatment can be removal of moisture from the soil of interest. For example, removing water that is a cause of a soil mass can be the pretreatment. Next, in a second step, the moisture characteristic of the soil subjected to the pretreatment is measured. The moisture characteristic is a water content of the soil. In addition, the moisture characteristic is a matrix potential value at a specified soil water content. Next, in a third step, the corrosion of the metal member buried in the soil is estimated from the measured moisture characteristic.
1 - 6 . (canceled)
7 . A corrosion estimation method comprising:
performing a pretreatment for measuring a moisture characteristic of soil;
measuring the moisture characteristic of the soil that has been subjected to the pretreatment; and
estimating corrosion of a metal member buried in the soil from the measured moisture characteristic.
8 . The corrosion estimation method according to claim 7 , wherein:
the moisture characteristic is a water content of the soil.
9 . The corrosion estimation method according to claim 8 , wherein:
the moisture characteristic is a matrix potential value at a specified soil water content.
10 . The corrosion estimation method according to claim 7 , wherein:
the moisture characteristic is a matrix potential value at a specified soil water content.
11 . The corrosion estimation method according to claim 7 , wherein performing the pretreatment comprises removing moisture from the soil.
12 . The corrosion estimation method according to claim 11 , wherein removing moisture from the soil comprises applying heat to the soil.
13 . The corrosion estimation method according to claim 12 , wherein applying heat to the soil comprises limiting a temperature of the soil to 50° C. or lower.
14 . The corrosion estimation method according to claim 11 , wherein removing moisture from the soil comprises decompressing and vacuum drying the soil.
15 . A corrosion estimation device comprising:
a soil conditioner configured to perform a pretreatment for measuring the moisture characteristic of the soil;
a measurement instrument configured to measure the moisture characteristic of the soil that has been pretreated by the soil conditioner; and
a calculator configured to estimate corrosion of a metal member buried in the soil from the moisture characteristic measured by the measurement instrument.
16 . The corrosion estimation device according to claim 15 , wherein:
the measurement instrument is configured to measure a water content of the soil.
17 . The corrosion estimation device according to claim 16 , wherein:
the measurement instrument is configured to measure a matrix potential at a specified soil water content.
18 . The corrosion estimation device according to claim 15 , wherein:
the measurement instrument is configured to measure a matrix potential at a specified soil water content.
19 . The corrosion estimation device according to claim 15 , wherein the soil conditioner is configured to perform the pretreatment by removing moisture from the soil.
20 . The corrosion estimation device according to claim 19 , wherein the soil conditioner is configured to remove moisture from the soil by applying heat to the soil.
21 . The corrosion estimation device according to claim 20 , wherein the soil conditioner is configured to limit a temperature of the soil to 50° C. or lower during applying heat to the soil.
22 . The corrosion estimation device according to claim 19 , wherein the soil conditioner is configured to remove moisture from the soil by decompressing and vacuum drying the soil.