
Located near the AT&T;Ballpark in San Francisco, the Metro East Maintenance shop and storage yard was required to support the 3rd Street Light Rail System extension, as well as provide additional maintenance capability to Muni’s existing trolley system. The humid, salty Bay Area climate made hot-dip galvanized steel the obvious choice for superior corrosion protection in such an aggressive environment.
Though the initial cost was competitive with paint, the life-cycle cost of the project revealed hot-dip galvanizing to be overwhelmingly more economical. Because hot-dip galvanizing requires little or no maintenance for 50+ years, there is no need to spend money on constant repairs and touch-up. As the centenary trusses, angles, and beams are critical to keeping the electrical cables and lighting supported, galvanizing will provide uninterrupted service for the maintenance facility.
Also, in keeping with the green effort of mass transit, hot-dip galvanized steel is the only corrosion protection system that is 100% recyclable. No maintenance means fewer pollutants are emitted over the life span of the structure – making galvanized steel both a wallet and earth-friendly solution to corrosion protection for this facility.