I-Corten steel iwumndeni wezinsimbi ezithambile eziqukethe izakhi ezengeziwe ze-alloying ezixutshwe ne-carbon ne-athomu yensimbi. Kodwa lezi zakhi ze-alloying zinikeza insimbi yesimo sezulu amandla angcono kanye nokumelana nokugqwala okuphezulu kunamamaki ensimbi athambile. Ngakho-ke, insimbi ye-corten ivame ukusetshenziswa emisebenzini yangaphandle noma ezindaweni lapho insimbi evamile ijwayele ukugqwala.
Yaqala ukuvela ngeminyaka yawo-1930s futhi yayisetshenziselwa kakhulu izinqola zamalahle zikaloliwe. Insimbi yesimo sezulu (igama elivamile le-Corten, nensimbi yesimo sezulu) isasetshenziswa kakhulu ezitsheni ngenxa yokuqina kwayo okungokwemvelo. Izinhlelo zokusebenza zobunjiniyela bomphakathi ezavela ngemuva kweminyaka yokuqala yawo-1960 zasebenzisa ithuba eliqondile lokumelana nokugqwala okuthuthukisiwe kuka-Corten, futhi akuzange kuthathe isikhathi eside ukuthi izicelo zokwakha zibonakale.
Izakhiwo ze-Corten zibangelwa ukuguqulwa ngokucophelela kwezakhi ze-alloying ezingezwe ensimbi ngesikhathi sokukhiqiza. Zonke izinsimbi ezikhiqizwa umzila oyinhloko (ngamanye amazwi, kusukela kunsimbi esikhundleni se-scrap) zikhiqizwa lapho insimbi incibilikiswa esithandweni somlilo futhi incishiswa kusiguquli. Okuqukethwe kwekhabhoni kuncishisiwe futhi i-ayoni ewumphumela (manje eyinsimbi) incane kakhulu futhi inomthamo womthwalo ophezulu kunangaphambili.
Izinsimbi eziningi eziphansi ze-alloy ziyagqwala ngenxa yokuba khona komoya nomswakama. Ukuthi lokhu kwenzeka ngokushesha kangakanani kuzoncika ekutheni ungakanani umswakama, umoya-mpilo kanye nokungcola komkhathi okuhlangana nakho endaweni engaphezulu. Ngensimbi yesimo sezulu, njengoba inqubo iqhubeka, ungqimba lokugqwala lwakha umgoqo ovimbela ukugeleza kokungcola, umswakama kanye nomoya-mpilo. Lokhu kuzosiza futhi ukubambezela inqubo yokugqwala ngezinga elithile. Lolu ungqimba olugqwalile luzophinde luhlukane nensimbi ngemva kwesikhashana. Njengoba uzokwazi ukuqonda, lokhu kuzoba umjikelezo ophindayo.