Land of the Tiger - Jacksonville… | American Galvanizers Association

When the Jacksonville Zoo decided to build an exhibit featuring tigers, careful consideration had to be given to every aspect of the exhibit. It is critical that the materials used to create the habitat not cause any harm to the animals. Also, when maintaining a habitat such as that for exotic tigers, keepers and maintenance personnel need to enter the area as infrequent as possible. On that note, the basis for the corrosion protection of the steel in this exhibit was chosen to be hot-dip galvanizing. The durability and corrosion performance that hot-dip galvanizing provides would drastically minimize the amount of maintenance required for corroding steel.

Secondly, the manner in which tigers mark their territory is very corrosive. Strong steel structures are needed to maintain the security of the exhibit, as it could be compromised very quickly by the corrosion that would develop if not protected. Paint systems cannot stand up to this and provide the corrosion resistance necessary. The corrosion resistant properties of zinc in the hot-dip galvanized coating will stand up to this corrosive environment and maintain the structural integrity of the steel; quietly keeping guests safe while they view these majestic creatures in unprecedented proximity.

The tiger exhibit contains two walkways that allow the tigers to travel through and over the courtyard in impressive style. These "tunnels" were fabricated with a maze of tubing and pipe intertwined. They would eventually be covered in a concrete type substance, shaped, and painted to appear as a strangler fig. However, the amount of hollow area, and potential for trapped air and fluids made them very difficult pieces to galvanize. Jacksonville Steel Products worked with the galvanizer on determining exactly how the pieces would be processed and where proper venting and drainage holes should be placed in order to avoid hazardous explosions or floating, which would create quality issues in the coating. This attraction was to house a pair of rare, endangered Sumatran tigers and three endangered Malayan tigers. This system of towers and walkways was designed to give the animals a level of choice and freedom that most captive animals never get to experience. The Jacksonville Zoo has not had its own tigers in over 20 years. This exhibit is part of a $9.5 million expansion.