Covestro polyaspartic coatings increase steel bridge protection

Protective coatings have been used to mitigate corrosion of steel bridges for more than a century.

For the last several decades, a three-coat system featuring zinc, epoxy and polyurethane layers has been utilised very successfully.

However, economics and schedule impacts are driving more Departments of Transportation to apply all coatings in the shop for new steel bridges.

This shifts the painting responsibility to steel fabricators, creating an additional revenue stream and possible scheduling complications.

The application of the conventional three-coat system in a shop setting is time and labor intensive.

Two-coat polyaspartic coating systems have the capability to vastly improve efficiency in the painting process.

Polyaspartic coatings offer a number of advantages, including increased painting productivity and reducing project costs, without sacrificing corrosion protection.

The vast majority of polyaspartic coating applications in the steel bridge market have been for field maintenance painting.

The cost and throughput advantages of polyaspartic coatings specific to the shop painting of steel bridge structures can generate significant value for steel fabricators and bridge owners.

They will also highlight a case study from the Maine Department of Transportation featuring a two-coat polyaspartic coating system for a new steel bridge.