Working to make 'light' of Rover's return...

Citation

(2000), "Working to make 'light' of Rover's return...", Anti-Corrosion Methods and Materials, Vol. 47 No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1108/acmm.2000.12847cab.010

Working to make 'light' of Rover's return...

Keywords Corrosion prevention, Wedge Group Galvanizing, Galvanizing

There's an old saying that it's a dog's life, but try telling that to a lamppost!

Because when Rover does what comes naturally at the base of a lamppost, he has no idea that he is doing his bit for corrosion.

One local authority environmental health spokesman said: "It's packed with acid and salt and quickly damages the protective coating around the base of the lamp columns, and the bills for getting these fixed are getting way beyond a joke".

So Wedge Group Galvanizing has stepped forward to offer their services, and are reportedly making life a lot easier.

Tens of thousands of steel lamp standards are treated by companies within the group every year, on behalf of different manufacturers, before they are installed to illuminate streets and venues across the UK.

Wedge uses the hot dip galvanizing process, dipping structures in a bath of molten zinc, to give them a long corrosion and maintenance-free life.

This also helps protect their bases from the ravages of strimmers - which not only cut grass but also tend to lash into the bottoms of lampposts and road signs.

Wedge plants specialising in this type of work include Worksop Galvanizing, Pillar-Wedge at Heywood (Lancashire) and Glasgow-based Scottish Galvanizers. Worksop alone galvanizes 10,000 tonnes of lampposts a year.

Wedge Group operations director Colin Leighfield commented: "This type of job may not be among the most glamorous contracts we undertake, but it is certainly vital work as it no doubt saves money for the councils - and in the long term the community tax payer.

"It is quite surprising just how much damage the beloved family pet can inflict on an innocent lamppost without knowing it!"

In one dramatic case of damage, lighting standards on one housing estate were found to have corroded around the base after just ten years. Their average lifespan should have been at least 25 years.

Details available from: Wedge Group Galvanizing Ltd. Tel: +44 (0) 1902 630311; Fax: +44 (0) 1902 366353; E-mail: info@wedge-galv.co.uk; Web site: www.wedge-galv.co.uk