Ottawa Illinois Waste Treatment Facility

The city of Ottawa, Illinois, is located in a beautiful valley at the confluence of the Fox and Illinois Rivers, and Ottawas natural setting is a source of pride for the community. As a result, there is real passion for the environment. During the design phase of the staircase the specifiers were interested in long term, low maintenance coatings that would also blend in with the natural surroundings.

The mature zinc patina was desired due to the natural fit with the other structures and rural location of the facility. As a result, hot-dip galvanizing (HDG) was the only coating specified for the spiral staircase. The ease of specifying was also bolstered by the industrial application and exposure to the seasonal environment and harsh chemical exposure. HDG answers all of the long term corrosion protection questions along with low initial costs and long term maintenance being zero for 50+ years.

The engineers and architects wanted a staircase fabricated as one unit no splices, bolt on connection points or post galvanizing welding allowed. With a staircase so large it required special fabrication methods and a kettle large enough to dip in a single piece. Once the galvanizer was located a series of communications took place to identify drain and venting, hanging, dip orientation and the like. A spiral staircase such as this is complex with many areas of concern due to handrail location, weight of the product and dip orientation. Due to a number of factors, turnaround time at the galvanizer was important to the project we needed to finish fabrication, galvanize and erect in a very tight timeline. The ability to do that regardless of weather conditions was an opportunity that HDG provides customers.

Ottawa Illinois Waste Treatment Facility

Details

Year Galvanized

2011

Award Class

Newly Complete

Award Sectors

Building & Architecture

Industrial

Environment

Industrial/Urban

Location

Ottawa, IL United States

Reasons for Galvanizing

Aesthetics, Coating Durability, Corrosion Performance, Ease of Specifying, Initial Cost, Life-Cycle Cost, Prior HDG Experience, Quality of HDG, Sustainability, Turnaround Time