I live right along the coastline of the vast ocean that wraps my state.
We get a lot of weather that is affected by the sea breezes and the humidity that comes off the water naturally.
That means cold temperatures at strange times depending on how the winds change. On top of that, the waves can get intimidating if you live in a house on the beach like so many do around here. I have stayed in town during a few close calls with category 3 and 4 hurricanes in the past, and I remember seeing storm surge climb so far up the beach that there was water flooding the ground floor of one of the beach houses present. Despite these risks each year, people persist in living so close to imminent danger. Strong storm surges at 10 to 15 feet can come in like a tsunami with almost the same quickness and force, often destroying or damaging anything in its path. With so much marine destruction, it’s amazing that our bridges all along the coastline are able to survive for decades despite being used daily by hundreds of vehicles. These bridges persist because of their constant maintenance, and in no small part due to the corrosion-resistant steel rebar used to reinforce the concrete. There are unique designs to how the rebar is welded together, along with the corrosion-resistant forms of rebar used like zinc-coated galvanized steel rebar and stainless steel rebar. Some bridges are made with 18 gauge 304 stainless steel rebar while others are not. As long as the concrete structure is designed properly, the steel rebar should hold the bridge together for decades of constant use with ease.