ISO 12944

a global corrosion standard

Delivering
Solutions through
Global Experience
Introduction Step 1 - Select the
ISO 12944 Paints & Varnishes - Corrosion
Protection of Steel Structures by protective
corrosive environment
paint systems (parts 1-8) (1998) Use the following table to select the most
appropriate classification:
The ISO 12944 standard is intended to assist
engineers and corrosion experts in adopting best
practice in corrosion protection of structural steel ISO 12944
Typical Environments
Classification
at new construction.
ISO 12944 is progressively superseding regional C1 Rural areas, low pollution. Heated
C2 buildings/neutral atmosphere.
standards to become a truly global benchmark in
C3 Urban and industrial atmospheres.
corrosion control.
Moderate sulphur dioxide levels.
Production areas with high humidity.
C4 Industrial and coastal.
Chemical processing plants.
C5I Industrial areas with high humidity and
aggressive atmospheres.
C5M Marine, offshore*, estuaries, coastal areas
with high salinity.

* Corrosion protection in ISO 12944 C5M - Offshore environments is being

addressed via a new standard (ISO 20340) dedicated to this environment

These environments are based on experiments that have

measured the rate of metal loss for uncoated steel. The
classification of environments applies to structural steel
exposed to ambient (less than 120°C/248°F) conditions.

Stadium - City locations could be classified as ISO 12944 C3

Why specify ISO 12944

Coating Systems?
ISO (www.iso.org) is a recognised and widely
adopted standards organisation, that assists in
providing best practice throughout industry.

Selecting specifications that comply with ISO 12944

provides you with:

• Confidence that the corrosion protection you

specify will be fit for purpose
• An objective approach to coating selection
• A simplified matrix of coating systems to
select from
• A meaningful coating design life
Airports - The inside of a heated building is typically an ISO 12944
• A universally accepted standard C2 environment
Step 2 - Decide on the
design life (durability)
of the coating system
• ISO 12944 Durability Ranges
(time to first major maintenance)

High Durability >15 years design life

Medium Durability 5-15 years design life
Low Durability <5 years design life

• This table should be used to select the most cost

effective system for the required project lifetime. It
should be noted however that durability does
not equate to a guarantee time - it is more
appropriate to equate durability to the "Design Life"
of the coating system - regular minor maintenance
should always be anticipated, in order to achieve
the required life to first major maintenance. Power Plant - A typical ISO 12944 C4 environment

Our Commitment
“International Protective
Coatings operate across
the globe to the same high
standards.
We can offer ISO 12944
compliant coating
specifications for structural
steel; tested, manufactured
and supplied under the
same rigorous standards
in over 50 countries.”

Specify with confidence,

specify ISO 12944
Regular inspection and routine maintenance via our Interplan service
will assist in achieving the required design life for the coating system. www.infrastructure-coatings.com
Step 3 - Select an ISO 12944 compliant system
• The coating systems described in this brochure have been evaluated against ISO and ASTM test standards and self
certified to ISO 12944 part 6.

ISO 12944 Environment Design Life/Durability <5 years Design Life/Durability 5-15 years Design Life/Durability >15 years

C1 A A A

C2 A B B
C3 B B C D

C4 # C D E F

C5I # E H G H
Note: ISO 12944 C5M (Offshore Environments) have been partly superseded with ISO 20340 and hence are not included in this table.
# International Protective Coatings does not routinely recommend systems for Design Lives <5 years in C4 or C5 environments.

Reference Coating System Isocyanate System Aesthetic Corrosion

Free (3) VOC Durability (4) Resistance (5)

Interlac 789
A @ 75 µm Yes <40g/m2
o r Intergard 345

B Intergard 345 (1) @ 150 µm Yes <70g/m2 (1)

Intercure 200HS @ 150 µm

C No (6) <80g/m2 (6)
Interthane 990 (2) @ 50 µm

Intercure 200HS @ 150 µm

D Yes <60g/m2
Interfine 878 @ 50 µm

Interzinc 52 @ 75 µm
E Intergard 475HS @ 150 µm No (6) <110g/m2 (6)
Interthane 990 (2) @ 50 µm

Intercure 200HS @ 200 µm

F Yes <80g/m2
Interfine 878 @ 75 µm

Interzinc 52 @ 75 µm
G Intergard 475HS @ 175 µm No (6) <120g/m2 (6)
Interthane 990 (2) @ 50 µm

Interzinc 52 @ 75 µm
H Yes <80g/m2
Interfine 979 @ 125 µm

(1) Durability (gloss and colour retention) when exposed to sunlight can be significantly improved by top coating this specification with
Interthane 990 @ 50 µm. In these instances it is possible to reduce the thickness of Intergard 345 by 25-50 µm to 100-125 µm.
(2) Interthane 990 is a high gloss finish - if a semi gloss finish is required it can be replaced by Interthane 870 specified at 100 µm.
In this instance the previous coat can be reduced by 50 µm in order to achieve the same total dry film thickness.
(3) Isocyanate containing coatings have known H&S issues during application. Interfine coatings are isocyanate free.
(4) Aesthetic durability is a measure of gloss and colour retention. These results are based on ISO and ASTM testing carried out in an
ISO9001 certified laboratory.
(5) Corrosion resistance is a measure of the corrosion performance. These results are based on ISO and ASTM testing carried out in an
ISO9001 certified laboratory.
(6) Replacement of Interthane 990 with Interfine 878 allows for durability to be significantly increased (to 5 ) and an isocyanate free finish
to be utilised.

For further advice and an interactive ISO 12944 specification guide visit:
www.infrastructure-coatings.com
protectivecoatings@internationalpaint.com
G4_ISO_UK

, International and all product names mentioned in this publication are trademarks of, or licensed to, Akzo Nobel. © AKZO NOBEL 2004
10/04

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