Abstract
<jats:p>Metal structural elements remain the primary construction material in many modern structures, which are subject to stringent requirements for safe and reliable operation. During service, structural elements undergo deformation and are exposed to various physical fields and environmental conditions. Situations involving two or more concurrent degradation factors pose particular risks. This study presents selected results of experimental and theoretical studies on the influence of an electromagnetic field and the orientation of its field lines on the corrosion wear of thin-walled steel elements. It also examines the effect of a magnetic field on the corrosion behavior of deformed thin-walled samples. The experiments were conducted in both urban and rural environments. The samples were exposed to the test environment for a specified period. Deformation was introduced using different methods.An experimental - theoretical approach was employed to evaluate the degree of corrosion wear and to determine the mechanical properties of the samples. Tangential and bending stiffness were calculated using relationships derived for the case of pure bending. The results indicate that corrosion wear is greater in samples not subjected to a magnetic field than in those exposed to magnetic field effects. Samples with surfaces oriented parallel to the Earth’s magnetic field lines exhibit more pronounced corrosion. It was also found that the tangential stiffness of undeformed samples under magnetic field exposure is slightly higher than that of tensile-deformed samples, whereas the bending samples of tensile-deformed samples exceeds that of undeformed ones. The study reveals new effects of both theoretical and practical significance.</jats:p>