L.A.Live! is a unique entertainment complex in Los Angeles sometimes referred to as "Times Square West." Inside this massive entertainment mecca is the mid-sized venue Nokia Center, among others.

The building plays host to many high-profile events, including numerous concerts, comedy shows, award presentations, and television productions. The outer walls of the venue are used as an advertising source for the entertainment complex and the building itself. To hold the advertising signage, large frame structures were erected and line the outer walls of the structure. To maintain the durability of the frames hot-dip galvanizing was chosen to provide durability from corrosion protection.

Located just 12 miles from the Pacific Ocean, the pieces needed to be coated with HDG to lower maintenance and keep costs at a minimum to focus their energies on the structure for advertisement. Over 51 tons of steel were treated with HDG, including all the frame structures progressive-dipped to give all carbon steel sections excellent coverage against the corrosive elements of the atmosphere that will last for years, and keep the facility pumping in the glitz and glamour of Los Angeles downtown South Park neighborhood.

Fifteen years after construction, the galvanizer collected mil readings to evaluate the galvanized steel’s performance. All 15 readings from three different areas of the installation surpassed ASTM A123 specifications for newly hot-dip galvanized steel. Although situated in a region with higher-than-average levels of sulfur dioxide and atmospheric chlorides (due to its proximity to the ocean), the structure shows zero sign of rust. Despite the elevated corrosiveness of the environment, L.A. Live! can still expect 60+ years of uninterrupted advertising due to the strength of HDG steel.

Coating Thickness