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In Water

Infrastructure immersed in fresh or sea waters face extremely harsh conditions, amplifying the need for durable, long-lasting corrosion protection.

In the 2021 Infrastructure Report Card, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) gave inland waterways infrastructure a D. The report noted that more than half of the locks and dams on the nation's inland waterways system are more than 50 years old and in need of major rehabilitation or replacement.

These critical pathways transport more than 575 million tons of cargo annually, worth a total value of more than $229 billion. Log jams due to closures cost $44 million per year, which with proper modernization can be decreased. 

In recent years, there have been effort to invest in waterway infrastructure, including the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) in 2020 which included $9.9 billion, and $17 billion in the BIL providing new hope for the future. 

US Army Corp of Engineers estimtae for funding needed to maintain and modernize waterways over next 20 years
$14 Billion
Every $1 Billion of investment in inland waterway infrastructure creates
6,000 jobs

It is imperative as waterway infrastructure is modernized, expanded and/or replaced that forward thinking is applied. Water conditions are extremely harsh, so designing with the most durable, long lasting materials is paramount. Hot-dip galvanizing has a proven track record of protecting steel in both fresh and sea water environments. Decreasing maintenance and extending the life of these structures will minimze log jam closures and maximize the government's investment. 

Water Resources

  • Schuylkill Banks Boardwalk 05

    HDG Performance in Water Environments

    Many parameters affect the performance of zinc in water, but despite the difficulty of predicting corrosion rates, hot-dip galvanizing provides corrosion protection in a variety of water applications.

  • Card design guide

    Design Guide: Products Galvanized After Fabrication

    Design and fabrication practices for optimizing the quality of HDG coatings. This guide contains more than 30 full-color illustrations.

  • GSS Captain Trash Wheel

    Galvanized Steel Studies - Inner Harbor Water Wheels

    Learn how hot-dip galvanized steel protects water wheels that are capable of removing 50,000 pounds of trash per day in this corrosive environment.

  • Card zinc coatings

    Zinc Coatings

    Designed to assist specifiers with the selection of zinc coatings for corrosion protection by discussing the various zinc coatings and their characteristics.

Waterway Components

Aerators

Anchor Bolts

Barriers

Bollards

Buoys

Catwalks

Dock Levelers

Docks

Dredge Components

Fasteners

Floating Docks

Flood Control Gates

Flow Restrictions

Harbor

Ladders

Locks

Mooring Walkways

Piers

Platforms

Railings

Ramps

Reinforcing Steel

Wharfs

Underwater Cages