When planning the habitat of the Bald Eagle, only the best corrosion protection was considered. The project director learned about the benefits of a duplex system when he attended an American Galvanizers Association (AGA) seminar, Galvanize It! After the seminar he included the duplex system into his plans for the new eagle exhibit. 

The structure was designed to be long-lasting and easy to maintain in effort to avoid disturbing the eagles new home.  Providing both cathodic and barrier protection, the duplex system is a combination of hot-dip galvanizing (HDG) and powder coating. Cathodic protection, also known as sacrificial protection, is zincs ability to protect steel from the corrosive environment. The zinc sacrificially corrodes through decades of exposure to protect the substrate steel. In conjunction with the cathodic protection of HDG, powder coating on the structure provides extra barrier protection to the zinc. The powered coating also provided an understated black color useful for admiring the eagles within.  The duplex system will continue to skillfully protect the Potter Park Zoo Eagle Avery and its admired inhabitants well into the future.