Colourgalv | Refurbishment | Case Study - East Linton Guardrails
| Client | East Lothian Council, Road Network Management, Transport Division |
| Contact | Dave Northcott, Senior Structures Officer |
| Address | John Muir House, Haddington, East Lothian |
| Phone | 01620 827827 |
| Fabricator | Loaninghill Fabrication Co. Ltd |
| Erector | AG Thomson & Sons Ltd |
| Project | A199 East Linton Pedestrian Guardrails. Road being de-trunked, hence required upgrading. Funded by Scottish Executive. 222 number panels, each 2.7m long. 223 posts, each 2m high. Bracket fixings and bolts to suit. All badly corroded and in state of disrepair. |
Options
- Do nothing – not an option due to danger from corrosion.
- Paint on site – not an option as steel was beyond on site repair, plus paint would only last months in this environment.
Hence guardrail required to be completely replaced with the correct coating specified, or shot-blasted and Colourgalv’d. Colourgalv could be used on the uneven shot blasted surface and paint could not. Ultimately the options are a) shot-blast and Colourgalv b) fabricate new and Colourgalv c) fabricate new and wet paint. - Fabricate new or shot blast – a cost comparison is provided, obviously with shot blasting being a more sustainable solution as it re-uses old steel.
- Coating – wet paint vs. Colourgalv, a cost comparison is provided, obviously with Colourgalv being a more sustainable solution, lasting up to 25 years until first major maintenance, whereas wet coat paint requires re-coating every 2-5 years in this environment.
Project Outcome
Inevitably East Lothian Council elected to shot-blast and Colourgalv. Not only did they save money, but it also increased their sustainability credentials by recycling the guardrails rather than opting for new fabrication, and through the application of a highly sustainable, VOC-free solution, which protects the steel from corrosion for over 50 years.
"When it comes to exterior steelwork you really can’t take any shortcuts as it’s important that it complements the surrounding environment and adds to the aesthetics of the locale. There can be nothing worse than having unsightly, rusting rails and had they been conventionally re-painted in-situ, there would’ve been no guarantee that the guardrails would not exhibit corrosion within a few years."
"By using Colourgalv, the rails will remain corrosion free for 50+ years, and not have to be re-coated in the first 25 years, saving the Council thousands of pounds."
David Northcott, Senior Structures Officer
Budget Paint System over 20 years
Quality Paint System over 20 years
Click the image to view a gallery of our work.
Fabricate new vs Shot Blast
| Cost to Fabricate |
Cost to Shot Blast |
Colourgalv SAVING | |
| 222 Panels | £27,750 | £5,439 | £22,311 |
| 223 Posts | £3,568 | £1,115 | £2,453 |
| Total | £31,318 | £6,554 | £24,764 |
Budget wet paint system vs Colourgalv
| Budget Paint System |
Colourgalv | Colourgalv SAVING | |
| Year 1 | £18,676.68 | £11,752.70 | £6,923.98 |
| Year 5 | £28,466.46 | £0 | £16,693.76 |
| Year 10 | £38,216.24 | £0 | £26,463.54 |
| Year 15 | £47,986.02 | £0 | £36,233.32 |
| Year 20 | £57,755.80 | £0 | £46,003.10 |
Quality wet paint system vs Colourgalv
| Quality Paint System |
Colourgalv | Colourgalv SAVING | |
| Year 1 | £32,435.72 | £11,752.70 | £20,683.02 |
| Year 5 | £46,869.54 | £0 | £35,116.84 |
| Year 10 | £61,303.36 | £0 | £49,550.66 |
| Year 15 | £75,737.18 | £0 | £63,984.48 |
| Year 20 | £90,171.00 | £0 | £78,418.30 |
