The University of Windsor, located across the river from Detroit in Ontario, needed additional parking for students at the new science building. Instead of going with a traditional concrete structure, the University chose hot-dip galvanizing for the Newton Parking Structure.
Working with the Newton Group of Guelph, Ontario, a seven-story structure was designed to accommodate 1,000 vehicles. Hot-dip galvanized steel was used for the entire structure except for the clear and colored glass elements. The structure utilized more than 1,400 tons of galvanized steel, and many of the large sections were progressively dipped, which means to galvanize one half of the material and then rehang the piece to galvanize the other side. The university also required a short time frame that made use of paint or any other corrosion protection system almost prohibitive. In addition to being able to meet the turnaround time, hot-dip galvanizing was also the best choice to combat the harsh Canadian winters and the different de-icing materials used.
The durability and maintenance-free nature of hot-dip galvanized steel made it an obvious choice for the college to make in regards to building material for the parking structure.
