Hot Dip Galvanized Steel from Galvanizers Association of Australia

HOT DIP GALVANIZED STEEL = Freedom for flair

The galvanized finish has long been associated with highly functional structures, a readily recognisable appearance and a long reliable treatment, yet it can be overlooked that it is frequently intrinsic in the development of some striking built structures. In essence, the high level of steelwork protection offered by modern galvanizing allows architects more freedom to design intricate and complex profiles confident they will stand the test of time.

Galvanize spoke with a number of prominent architects to find that rather than an afterthought, they are well apprised of the finish's ability to release new design possibilities and take a keen interest in specifying it on a wide array of building applications engaging local member galvanizers of the Galvanizers Association of Australia (GAA).

John Whittingham, director of Allen Jack+Cottier Architects, involved in the design of the multi-award winning Milson Island Indoor Sports Centre that was also highly commended in the GAA's most recent Sorel Awards, said his practice regularly relied on the treatment for a range of buildings.

The sports centre was one for which galvanizing's helpful attributes particularly came to the fore to meet the challenge of building a facility for rugged use at a totally water-locked site, requiring all materials to be barged over. He said the ability of the galvanized sections to withstand surface damage during transit to site was a boon for this type of application intended for spirited indoor play.

"We have specified galvanized finishes many times over the years on an array of projects including other similar sports halls throughout regional NSW, a number of which have also gained design excellence awards," he said.

"Out of these projects only one has had trouble with corrosion, which coincidently was the only one that wasn't galvanized.

"You just need to look at the longevity of the high voltage transmission towers scattered all over the State to know that galvanizing lasts. These towers are in exposed locations, they are unprotected and undergo little or minimal maintenance.

"This is the sort of robust finish we required, able to withstand a belting from both the environment and the kids and yet still stand strong."

Similarly, Bark Design Architects principal Stephen Guthrie, one of the architects behind the design of the new Noosa Junction Station that received a 2012 Queensland Australian Institute of Architects (AIA) State Commendation for Urban Design, is also a galvanizing fan.

The most distinctive design elements of the railway station are the steel framed skillion roofs over its central pavilions, much of which is galvanized. And like the indoor sports stadium, the project is located in a coastal environment with high levels of sea salt and also required components which could be easily fabricated, hot dip galvanized, transported and erected, and arrive onsite ready to erect with no additional cutting, welding or adjustment required.

"The selection of hot dip galvanizing is specified on many of our public and residential projects in challenging coastal environments," he said.

"Unlike steel protected with paint finishes, hot dip galvanizing offers an 'unconcealed' natural appearance where any potential areas requiring maintenance can be easily seen and addressed in the early stages.

"Our own studio utilised a series of hot dip galvanized steel portal frames which were able to be erected onsite within a week and now 12 years later look as contemporary and fresh as they were when the building was new and without any need for maintenance during that time.

"Many of our high end residential properties in harsh coastal environments also utilise galvanized steel as a material of choice for its durability, performance and aesthetic characteristics."

Managing Principal Queensland of DWP Suters architects, Geoff Street concurred.

"Galvanizing is the traditional way of treating steel exposed to constant outside air flow in our state," he said. "We have used expressed galvanized steel in many projects including schools, storage warehouses, universities and hospitals."

Collins and Turner architects principal, Huw Turner has drawn from extensive experience with the corrosion prevention approach from both here and overseas for his Sydney-based practice.

"Two of our first-built projects were on neighbouring rural properties on the Monaro in regional NSW. They are shed-like structures that sit comfortably in an open landscape in close proximity to existing farm sheds and dwellings," he said.

"Both use galvanized finishes as our first choice for both longevity and contextual reasons and still look great after 15 years."

"Several contemporary projects in Europe served as examples of new building forms defined by entirely galvanized surface finishes, particularly two in Switzerland - the traffic museum extension in Zurich by Gigon Guyer architects and the Uetliber house by Andreas Fuhriman and Gabrielle Hachler.

"Both projects celebrate the beauty of the galvanizing process in ways that we hadn't previously experienced. And each gave us comfort that an entirely galvanized structure would be a fine looking thing."

Galvanizing was hence the obvious choice when it came to Mr Turner's practice designing the redevelopment of an amenities block into a modern community centre to fit an inner-city parkland setting recently.

The intensive application of galvanizing allowed the new centre to be sited virtually as part of the landscape for it eventually to be shrouded by planted vegetation confident of retaining the structure's integrity despite increasingly more humid conditions.

Giordano & Associates Senior Architect, Anthony Giordano has also taken heed of overseas galvanizing applications as impressive.

"I have been fortunate enough to see some great examples of galvanizing in Norway and can attest to their outstanding performance in harsh arctic conditions," he said.

The architects designed the new head office and factory for prominent South Australian steel fabricator Manuele Engineers just three kilometres from the coast.

The fabricator wanted to make a more prominent statement about its business by highlighting the intricate steel fabrication of the new facility enhanced by contrasting hot dip galvanized in-fill panels against a painted RHS support frame, creating a distinctive design aspect.

"Galvanizing has also come to the fore for us on a town square development in the McLaren Vale wine region for the City of Onkaparinga required steel balustrades, shade structures and seating that would pick up on the original rural origins of the region.

"Galvanized steel was chosen to make this link," Mr Giordano said.

Scott Hardcastle of BVN Donovan Hill who designed Stage Four of Lavarack Barracks redevelopment near tropical Townsville, has specified galvanizing for both structural and general applications and was equally cognisant of the freedom afforded in creating more intricate building designs.

"Hot dip galvanizing has the advantage of full steel coverage including internally within steel sections," he said. "Paint applications can't achieve this extent of coverage."