Even though only 31 tons (28 tonnes) of steel were galvanized, all the steel that made up the Giant Wheel was galvanized. The previous Ferris wheel in the amusement park had been painted and repainted for over 15 years. So, there were numerous coats of paint that needed to be removed before galvanizing.

Because of time constraints, sandblasting the steel was the best option to remove the unwanted paint. Another challenge the galvanizer faced was that the original Ferris wheel was not designed to be hot-dip galvanized. A little more than 4,900 vent/drain holes were made to ensure a quality product. Since being dubbed the Wonder Wheel, this originally painted structure endured 15+ years in Pittsburgh's moderately industrial environment. 

Exhaust and emissions from cars, trucks and industrial facilities were very aggressive in their assault on the structure. Wonder Wheel was in a constant state of maintenance, being repainted every two to three years and getting spot-painted on a monthly basis. Once sandblasted and re-galvanized, the Ferris wheel looked as good as new. The initial cost was a little more than usual because of the excessive amounts of paint that needed to be removed and the number of vent/drain holes that needed to be added. However, this cost is a small price to pay for the long-term corrosion prevention that hot-dip galvanizing will bring to the Giant Wheel.