Confronting Corrosion
"This has been a great project with our partner Kenaidan Contracting knowing that it will help the community greatly and improve transportation needs of the public."
The Brampton GO Transit bus and railway station connects commuters to the Toronto downtown Union Station in approximately 30 minutes. To improve customer experience and overall passenger safety, the plans included additional parking, updated amenities and enhanced accessibility. One of the important new features was a continuous, overhead steel canopy to shield passengers from inclement weather as they wait for their ride as well as protecting the newly upgraded electrical and mechanical equipment that could give way to corrosion if not properly protected. Knowing that Ontario tends to be rainy in the spring and snowy throughout the winter, this addition was essential to the project.
There are two primary reasons rust appears more quickly on vehicles in northern regions. During icy or snowy weather, debris freezes to vehicles and structures. When this ice is knocked off, it can crack painted coatings creating voids in protection. Another factor contributing to the corrosivity of this environment is the constant flow of trains and buses. The high levels of exhaust fumes polluting the area can be damaging to the surrounding structures as well.
Our team at Valmont Coatings® Pure Metal didn’t see the corrosive environmental factors of the area as a stumbling block, but as a chance to prove the strength and reliability of hot-dip galvanizing over other mediums. The zinc patina used in the project will help elongate the service life by slowing the rate of zinc corrosion to about 1/5th the rate of painted steel, ensuring the station continues to support passenger transit for many years to come.