The International Zinc Association (IZA) has urged South Africa’s public and private sectors to accelerate the use of zinc-based corrosion protection technologies as the country works to revive its deteriorating infrastructure. According to Simon Norton, Director of IZA Africa, zinc offers some of the most effective and longest lasting solutions for extending the lifespan of steel and reinforced concrete structures.
“Design engineers and civil engineers can choose to use zinc for the corrosion protection of steel in different formats, namely hot dip galvanizing, zinc thermal spray or by using zinc rich paints,” notes Simon Norton, Director of IZA Africa. “In South African deep mines and at coastal regions, all concrete steel rebar should be hot dip galvanized to ensure long concrete life in these structures.”
Norton notes that many of the country’s steel assets are now failing because they were never hot dip galvanized, inadequately coated, or have been allowed to deteriorate without adequate maintenance. Concrete structures are also showing advanced ageing due to the corrosion of the reinforcing steel, which results in cracking and spalling.
“Zinc remains one of the most powerful and versatile tools for rehabilitating steel and concrete infrastructure,” highlights Norton. “Where possible, deteriorated steel should be removed and hot dip galvanized. If this is not achievable, zinc metal spray, zinc aluminium metal spray or high-quality zinc-rich paints can be applied to provide robust and long-term corrosion protection once the surfaces have been correctly prepared.”