Steel structures, especially in regions close to sea, are subjected to humid air containing salt and to chemicals from the atmosphere. Protection of the steel construction with zinc or aluminium by use of the arc-spraying technique is an application which permits the constructions to be protected for many years. These metals are less noble than iron.
Examples of some of the steel structures that are protected from corrosion by sacrificial coatings include:
Buildings
Bridges
Towers
Radio and television antenna masts
Steel gantry structures
High-power search radar aerials
Overhead walkways
Railroad overhead line support columns
Electrification masts
Tower cranes
Traffic island posts
Street and bridge railings
In addition, the coatings (most notably, aluminum) are also use extensively in ship applications, such as topside weather equipment, machinery spaces, and interior wet spaces.
The use of thermal spray metallization makes it possible to achieve fully effective, maintenance-free protection against corrosion and corrosion-enhanced mechanical failure of steel structures for more than three decades.