Galvacoat CPD for Architects and Engineers

Galco, Ireland’s largest Hot Dip Galvanizer, provide a full technical service CPE for Engineers & Architects in Ireland, including literature, telephone enquiries, plant visits and in-house Continuous Professional Development (CPD) presentations.

Hot Dip Galvanizing has long been recognised as the most successful method of providing corrosion protection for steelwork. For some however, the perceived difficulty in applying a subsequent paint coating on top of it has limited its use – and caused specifiers to seek other forms of corrosion protection.

The reason that many paints tend not to adhere well to freshly galvanized steel goes back to the original use they were intended for. These paints were typically designed for application directly to steel, which is a ‘ferrous metal’. Galvanizing ,on the other hand, is zinc based and as zinc is a ‘non-ferrous metal’ a different solution is required.

Galvacoat was originally formulated for direct application to zinc to allow hot dip galvanized transformer tanks be painted over twenty years ago. Galvacoat is still widely used for this purpose and is also approved for use on Electricity pylons.

Nowadays Galvacoat is used across a wide range of applications including gates, railings and balconies as well as on structural steelwork and street furniture.

Elements covered by our CPD for Architects and Engineers Programme

Our CPD presetnations typically take place in the offices of the architects, engineers or utility companies involved, and cover the following elements:

• Understanding Hot Dip Galvanizing
• Surface preparation of galvanized steel for painting
• Achieving adequate corrosion protection
• Coating thickness in relation to life expectancy
• Coating inspection and certification
• The relevant standards for Hot Dip Galvanizing and paint application
• Costs and economics
• Sustainability
• Unique characteristics of Galvacoat paint
• Typical uses for Galvacoat paint including case studies.