Offshore wind secondary steel

The challenge

The secondary steel on an offshore wind foundation, such as boat landings, ladders and platforms, sits right in the splash zone. For 25 years or more it takes waves, ice and knocks from crew vessels. Maintenance at sea costs many times what it costs on land, so the specification left no margin: thermal-sprayed aluminium with a full paint system on top.

Our approach

We blasted to Sa 3 with angular grit and checked the roughness on every part. The aluminium was sprayed in our Temse hall within the same shift, then sealed and overcoated. The fabricator’s inspector witnessed adhesion tests on reference panels sprayed alongside the production parts. A signal-yellow topcoat on the access areas makes them easy to spot from transfer vessels.

The result

More than 400 parts were shipped by barge in step with the foundation load-out. Every batch came with a full NORSOK inspection report, which the fabricator passed straight to the wind farm owner.