The Lock That Had to Survive Saltwater, While Keeping Its Colour

A huge lock gate might not be the first thing you think of when you hear "colour matching."

But for the New Sealock at Terneuzen, colour stability was an important part of the coating specification.

The project involved a major new lock complex between Belgium and the Netherlands, with coating systems required to protect large steel structures from an extremely demanding saltwater environment while also maintaining their appearance.

The Challenge

The new lock gates and bridges would be exposed to severe marine conditions.

That meant the coating system needed to provide strong resistance against:

• Corrosion
• Seawater
• Abrasion
• Impact
• Atmospheric exposure

At the same time, the project had particularly demanding requirements around colour stability and long-term appearance.

There was also an unusual logistical challenge.

Parts of the lock were constructed in a Chinese shipyard while the project was being managed from the Benelux.

The Solution

PPG supplied several coating systems for different parts of the project.

The bridges used:

SIGMAZINC 109 HS
SIGMACOVER 410
SIGMADUR 550

The lock gates incorporated two layers of SIGMASHIELD 880, with SIGMADUR 550 used on atmospheric areas of the gates.

The system was designed around the different exposure conditions experienced across the structure.

The Result

The completed system provided the New Sealock with protection against the demanding saltwater environment while delivering the required long-term colour and gloss performance.

The project also highlights how coating technology can form just one part of a much larger engineering challenge.

International manufacturing, technical requirements, product consistency and communication all had to work together.

It's a great example of why major coating projects require more than simply choosing a product from a catalogue.

The right system has to work technically, practically and aesthetically.