Corrosion can slowly ruin your building. It can be a pervasive problem for companies that store caustic products, such as salt and fertilizer, and for those located in humid or marine environments.
For years, hot-dip galvanizing was the standard for corrosion protection–and we relied on it. Traditional hot-dip galvanizing (HDG) is designed to delay the formation of rust and other damage, not prevent it from occurring. After a number of years, galvanized structural members will inevitably need to be blasted and re-galvanized or replaced. Web-truss construction that uses inline galvanized materials can exacerbate the problem because corrosion can occur inside the tubes, out of sight, and continue to erode surfaces without detection.
The HDG deficiencies inspired Legacy Building Solutions to develop EpoxxiShield™. This proprietary epoxy coating protects building frames from corrosion significantly better than the more common HDG process. This extra protection offered by EpoxxiShield™ has helped spur a boom in the construction of tensioned fabric buildings in many industries.
EpoxxiShield—a continuous barrier that protects structural elements significantly better and longer—provides an alternative to hot-dip galvanizing. Greater durability and longevity enables owners to more effectively amortize up-front costs over time, generating higher ROI and saving money on operations costs by virtually eliminating the need to repair rusted or corroded structural elements.
Test Results Speak for Themselves
We asked an independent lab to run a side-by-side test to compare EpoxxiShield™ COR epoxy coating to hot-dip galvanizing. The difference was clear. The steel samples were subjected to over 2,000 hours of continuous salt fog—an aggressive test designed for surfaces that will be used in the toughest corrosive environments. Here’s what happened:
- The EpoxxiShield™ sample showed negligible corrosion (0.01% or less of the surface area).
- The HDG sample showed pinpoint rust (1% to 3% of the surface area) as well as general rust (3% to 10% of the surface area).
Real-life environments vary, but the performance difference between EpoxxiShield™ and HDG is clear.
Custom Coverage for Your Environment
EpoxxiShield™ is not a single all-purpose product, because tension fabric buildings are used in a wide variety of industries and locations, each with distinct corrosion protection needs.
- EpoxxiShield™ is designed for basic applications. The coating is a single layer of two-component polyamide epoxy paint, which creates a corrosion barrier 4–5 mils thick.
- EpoxxiShield™ COR is designed to withstand the most caustic environments with customizable options of additional epoxy coatings, a layer of high-build polyurethane or a zinc-rich epoxy primer.
EpoxxiShield™ and EpoxxiShield™ COR are available in standard and customizable surface coating options. By comparison, standard HDG results in a coating that is thinner (just 3.9 mils), with an industrial appearance that doesn’t always suit the building’s intended use.
This case study explains how our Legacy Building Solutions team helped a farm coop build a fertilizer storage building with EpoxxiShield™ so it will last longer.
EpoxxiShield™ is Built Right into the Construction Process
As with every step in the construction of a Legacy building, the epoxy coating process takes place in-house. It starts with thorough surface preparation to remove any existing mill scale, steel impurities, or rust so that the surface is completely dry and smooth. This allows the epoxy paint to form a continuous bond with the surface. Because EpoxxiShield™ COR is used to protect against corrosion in the harshest environments, all purlins and tubular members are sealed before the coating is applied.
ExxoTec™ Fabric Further Strengthens Protection
Legacy Building Solutions uses a specialized industrial tension fabric called ExxoTec™ to create the exterior membrane that encloses each building. ExxoTec™ is extremely strong and durable and can also be used as an interior liner as well. Since the fabric is inherently resistant to corrosion, it adds another protective layer on top of the EpoxxiShield™ finish.
Watch how ExxoTec™ holds up against the weight of a skid loader.
Every Legacy Building Solutions building is unique because each one is custom built to the company’s functional and aesthetic specifications. The one thing that never changes is the EpoxxiShield™ epoxy coating on rigid steel framing that ensures superior corrosion resistance and building longevity. If you’d like to learn more about the construction and cost of a Legacy tension fabric building, we encourage you to reach out to our team.
