The Turtleback Landing

In 2025, a riverfront has been revitalized along the Cedar River shoreline in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The Turtleback Landing stands as a testament of where art, nature, community and sustainability come together due to the design and involvement of the artist, landscape architect, and galvanizer. When thinking of the type of animal that would best represent this area, the turtle was an easy decision due to the fact it’s native to the region and would bring the riverfront to life with its unique features.

The Downtown Riverfront is exposed to seasonal flooding, and high volume of foot traffic from tourists and locals. Durability and long-term protection were vital aspects of the sculpture that project members considered in the design phase, leading to the decision to galvanize all 400 pounds of the turtle head. Hot-dip galvanizing ensures the turtle head receives complete coverage, coating every crack and crevice that a paint solution would simply miss. Knowing that the turtle head would experience constant contact with children’s hands and feet, it would also be important to have this long-term protection due to the abrasion on the coating.

The partnership between the teams involved was paramount in achieving perfect quality of the turtle head as well. The galvanizer’s wealth of process and design for galvanizing knowledge coupled with the fabricator’s expert manufacturing processes proved crucial in a flawless dip from start to finish. After galvanizing, the turtle's head was primed and painted achieving the aesthetic the artist was hoping for as well as the long-term durability a duplex coating the teams relied on. This impactful decision to choose paint over galvanizing lengthened the life cycle of the steel 1.5 to 2 times the sum of the expected life of each system alone.

The Turtleback Landing will continue to connect the community of Cedar Falls with its design and function for nearly 100 years down the road. Structurally sound and built for long-term use, it will demonstrate the strength and versatility of galvanizing complex pieces of steel for generations to come.