The American Galvanizers Association (AGA) is pleased to announce the winners of the 2012 Excellence in Hot-Dip Galvanizing Awards (EA) competition.  More than 120 applications presenting outstanding projects completed in 2011 were submitted to be independently judged online by a panel of architects and engineers.  The projects are featured in the new AGA Project Gallery at galvanizeit.org/project-gallery, where you can access both this year’s winners and our extensive project  library.

Throughout the 13 categories, whimsy and longevity hallmark this year’s selections.  Fifteen submissions were chosen to represent the best of each category, with the year’s highest honor across all categories awarded the “Most Distinguished” designation – this year, an spine-tingling tourist attraction called Cliffwalk at the Capilano Suspension Bridge.  Reaching out over a misty expanse of evergreen foliage, the Cliffwalk dares visitors to tread out over the open canyon below and drink in the bird’s-eye view, and hot-dip galvanized steel keeps the structure safe, attractive, and rust-free for visitors to enjoy.

The “Lifetime Achievement” Award was granted to the Metrolina Greenhouses, an expansive facility that has withstood the test of time.  Art VanWingerden, of Metrolina, said, “Not only does galvanizing provide an exceptionally long life in the hot, moist greenhouse setting, but it also corresponds with our efforts to protect the environment by eliminating the VOC’s released when paint is used for corrosion protection.”  This sustainable longevity is a primary characteristic of galvanized steel.

These projects and more are featured on the new AGA Project Gallery, where users can explore a vast collection of hot-dip galvanized steel projects spanning many decades and markets.  Winners of the current EA competition are featured in the “Winners” section, while hundreds of other projects can be searched by environment, location, reason for galvanizing, and more in the “Gallery” section.  All submissions and judging for future EA competitions will also be conducted through this website.

For full project descriptions of the winners, please visit the Winners section of the Project Gallery.  Winners receive their own four-color project brochure, are featured on both the AGA website home page and the Project Gallery, and will be mentioned, featured, and/or depicted in various upcoming seminars, editorials, and publications.