The Savage Dock, developed for a private residence in Searsport, Maine, is consistently exposed to harsh Northern New England weather, but is also a permanent fixture on a fresh water lake. Because steel was the material of choice to support the wooden cross members making up the surface of the dock, the owner desired a protective coating with proven capabilities that would also blend into the rural surroundings.

The demonstrated Corrosion Protection provided by hot-dip galvanizing combined with the synergistic effect of paint over the galvanized surface, made the use of a duplex system the obvious choice to maximize Corrosion Protection and aesthetics.Using a duplex system, which expands upon the underlying protection of the galvanized coating, allows a structure to have the best of both worlds - color choice and Corrosion Protection. For projects that have a particular color scheme, duplexing is a good way to get all the corrosion-resistant protection of galvanizing, while allowing the structure to incorporate a range of colors. To allow the steel to blend in with the wooden cross ties, the fabricator specified a duplex system in forest green. Because the steel is exposed to a severely corrosive environment, the duplex system, with its synergy of galvanized steel and paint, will extend the life of the steel.

The Life-cycle Cost Calculator at www.galvanizingcost.com, which includes data from National Association of Corrosion Engineers (NACE) papers and the American Galvanizers Association, was used to show the owner the monetary benefits of using a galvanized/duplex system. The underlying galvanized steel will keep the dock viable for generations, while the paint will allow the dock to blend into its environment - even when facing constant exposure to corrosive elements.