What is Weathering Steel & Why use it?
• Weathering Steel is developed for today’s environmentally-conscious, maintenance-free bridge applications. There is no painting or coating required for the steel’s lifetime. Through metallurgical development and enhancements, engineers have provided a material where the initial rust (oxide) layer actually seals the surface of the metal, preventing further oxidation and rusting. The surface oxides provide a natural patina and blends well in natural settings. • In cases of graffiti damaging the aesthetics of the bridge, a simple sanding, scraping or blasting of the steel surface is all that is needed to remove the marks. The steel will quickly “re-weather” to the condition it was in prior to the offense. This eliminates environmentally intrusive and costly measures that could harm the stream. • Weathering Steel has the lowest lifecycle costs of all construction options, including wood, concrete or painted steel.
