When South Africa stages the World Cup soccer event in 2010, its stadiums will be protected with coatings from AkzoNobel’s Marine & Protective Coatings business. Around 198 gal (750,000 liters) of the company’s International Paint products have been used to provide a protective coating for more than 30,000 tons of steel in three brand new venues. International also has supplied coatings for five existing facilities that are being expanded, including the Soccer City stadium in Johannesburg, which will host the final on July 11, 2010.

When South Africa stages the World Cup soccer event in 2010, its stadiums will be protected with coatings from AkzoNobel’s Marine & Protective Coatings business. Around 198 gal (750,000 liters) of the company’s International Paint products have been used to provide a protective coating for more than 30,000 tons of steel in three brand new venues. International also has supplied coatings for five existing facilities that are being expanded, including the Soccer City stadium in Johannesburg, which will host the final on July 11, 2010.

“We’ve supplied primer, undercoat and topcoat, which will protect approximately 600,000 square meters of steel in the new stadiums against corrosion and other damaging environmental influences for at least the next 30 years,” explains Terry Gilhooley, protective coatings manager with responsibility for Germany, where some of the steel is being fabricated and coated.

The three new venues being coated by AkzoNobel are in Durban, Port Elizabeth and Cape Town. The Durban stadium features a roof support that is a 100-meter high, 350-meter wide dual steel arch made up of 56 individual sections - all of which are protected with International Paint products.

“The sections weigh up to 115 tons each and are actually being fabricated in Hanover and Johannesburg and will be transported to Durban by ship and road, respectively, before being assembled on site,” says Gilhooley.

For more information, visit www.akzonobel.com.