The votes have been tallied and the American Galvanizers Association (AGA) is pleased to announce the winners of the 2013 Excellence in Hot-Dip Galvanizing Awards. More than 120 impressive projects were submitted, representing a variety of applications of hot-dip galvanizing. All of the projects were judged online by a panel of architects and engineers. The submitted projects and winners are featured in the AGA Project Gallery.

This year’s highest honor, Most Distinguished, was given to the US Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) parking garage in Golden, Colorado.  The solar powered garage required a maintenance-free coating that would last 50 years or more, making galvanizing the optimum choice for corrosion protection. Nearby, Denver Zoo’s state-of-the-art Toyota Elephant Passage took home the Recreation and Entertainment award. Hot-dip galvanizing was the safest coating option for the exhibit, ensuring the animals’ enclosures are protected from the corrosive elements in the environment and from any potential damage the animals may cause.

The Artistic category winner, The Devil’s Lake Creature at Regatta Grounds Park in Lincoln City, Oregon, is a fine example of the variety of uses for hot-dip galvanized steel. The creature is comprised of 90% recycled material and will be viewed, played on, and marveled at for many years to come by all who visit Regatta Grounds Park. The durability and sustainability of the galvanized coating will make this a safe and attractive piece of art for decades of families to enjoy.

A duplex system was specified for this year’s Lifetime Achievement award which went to the Franklin Park Conservatory Ameriflora in Columbus, Ohio. The 80,000 square-foot expansion and renovation project was originally completed in 1992, and is a fine example of the longevity and superior corrosion protection provided by paint over hot-dip galvanized steel. Thanks to hot-dip galvanizing, Franklin Park can continue to serve the community and the State of Ohio in the many years to come.

A complete list of winners in included in this release. For full project descriptions of any of this year’s winners, please visit the Winners section of the AGA Project Gallery.

Winners receive their own four-color project brochure, are featured on both the AGA website home page and the AGA Project Gallery, and will be mentioned, featured, and/or depicted in various upcoming seminars, editorials, and publications. Contact AGA Marketing Coordinator Laura Hanson ([email protected]) for more information, high quality images, or specific project articles.