SHANGHAI – AkzoNobel’s International Paint is the sole supplier of protective coatings for the overhaul of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. The work involves the complete replacement of the existing east span on the Oakland side, with coating of the new steelwork being carried out in China.

 

Following the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, which damaged a section of the east span, extensive studies were undertaken to determine whether California’s largest bridges were seismically safe. As a result, it was determined that the entire Bay Bridge required major seismic safety improvements. The west span has undergone a major seismic retrofit, while the east span is being completely replaced at a cost of more than $5 billion.

 

The steel structures are being built by Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industry Co. Ltd. The company chose to use protective coatings from International Paint. The coating works for the first batch of structures was recently completed in Shanghai, China, and were shipped to San Francisco on Dec. 29, 2009.

 

A total of 400,000 liters of Interzinc® 22 Inorganic Zinc Rich Silicate and Interfine® 979 Acrylic Polysiloxane, supplied by AkzoNobel International Paint (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., will be used in this project. These products have the advantages of anti-corrosion, abrasion and impact resistance, gloss and color retention that meet the rigorous requirements for the bridge. In addition, International Paint is offering a 20-year warranty for this project.