AESS Coating

Architecturally exposed structural steel (AESS) can express the structural integrity of a building in a striking way and put the structural system at the aesthetic forefront. Today, many buildings showcase AESS to provide an identity and even create iconic structures. AESS elements feature higher degree of finish and are handled with a higher level of care during fabrication, coating and erection. Beautiful and creative expression can be achieved in the broad range of shapes, tapered forms, curves, colors, glossy or matte finishes, as well as seamless or tectonic expression. For AESS requiring fire protection, one option is to apply an intumescent coating. Note that the intumescent coating itself does not come in different colors; a separate paint is applied on top of the coating. And if an intumescent-coated piece of steel is placed next to an uncoated piece, the final paint colors will vary, as the intumescent coating acts as a different kind of primer.