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The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the effect of accelerated environmental loading, i.e. humidity, solar radiation, wet/dry cycling, CO2 concentration and temperature on specimens being initially protected using 4 commercially available coating systems and to evaluate their degradation considering the results.

For the purpose of the study, an accelerated environmental loading was performed in a highly sophisticated chamber able to replicate weather patterns representing the 8 characteristic climate zones of Australia.

The results in terms of degradation patterns can provide a qualitative classification leading to the development of a Dynamic Protection Index Factor (DPIF) which can be used as direct input in life cycle cost analysis appraisal.

This paper is considered to be very important, since the degradation results of different environmental conditions constiture a major problem for structures life inspections and durability