8. Maintenance

8.1 Structural steel requires maintenance to ensure that the coating system is kept in good condition to continue to protect the steelwork from premature degradation. Surfaces need to be washed down to remove the salts that accelerate corrosion on a regular basis as specified by the coating manufacturer giving consideration to its environment and type of exposure. I.e.: semi or protected steel near the ocean does not get washed by rain events, thus the steel work needs more cleaning and maintenance than that exposed to rain / washing due to rain.

8.2 Regular maintenance scheduling must be carried out to identify and repair any problem areas to ensure that the coating system continues to offer corrosion protection and provide aesthetic appeal.

8.3 We must transfer the onus of maintenance thoroughly on completion for risk to pass clearly onto the end user. This should be done within the Operation and Maintenance Manuals and during client training.

All of the steel on these photos is located on the beachfront and for around 7 years WITHOUT regular or adequate maintenance. When tested this steel was ranging between 220 and 340 microns – well above the required system paint design of 150 microns

The steel is predominaiely unwashed areas – rain doesn’t wash the paint under the roof fabric / glass

This rusting is as a result of salt deposits on the members for prolonged periods, coupled with condensation has provided a perfect environemnt for corrosion.