(march 2014) The combination of ArcelorMittal’s high strength low alloy steels and the unique zinc-magnesium-aluminium coating Magnelis® has won the Intertraffic 2014 innovation award, in the Infrastructure category.

High strength low alloy steel provides an optimal safety solution. Its tight controlled properties enable a better energy absorption in the event of a crash. It is lighter (up to 25% per metre compared with those made with structural grades) and reduces greenhouse gas emissions as less steel is required and more finished products can be transported at the same time to the installation site.

Magnelis®, the steel metallic coating made with zinc, 3.5% aluminium and 3% magnesium, protects road infrastructures made of steel against corrosion, while maintaining high mechanical properties. Magnelis®, which uses less zinc than pure zinc coatings thereby considerably reducing zinc runoff in the soil, comes with a 20-year warranty for safety barriers, and up to 25 years for poles. Moreover, this steel combination ensures a 10 times longer durability, improving the environmental performances of road equipments.

According to Intertraffic Amsterdam, "the jury particularly applauded the zinc/magnesium/aluminium-on-alloy system for its self-healing capability, which enables cut edges to autonomously protect themselves against corrosion in the field. The product’s 25-year guarantee in traffic environments was also deemed noteworthy, since with authorities pressured to make budgets stretch further, more durable safety solutions integrated at the roadside will ultimately have a positive, longer-term effect on road safety as well as well as overall spend. “Roadside infrastructure that has to be maintained less also has knock-on effects for roadworker safety as well as for traffic disruptions,” confirmed van der Knaap."

Patrick Le Pense, ArcelorMittal Flat Carbon Europe’s head of Business Development Infrastructure comments: “The Intertraffic award recognises the benefits of this innovative solution. It has been developed by our R&D centres and implemented in end products throughout partnerships with our customers. It’s an example of the added value that ArcelorMittal brings to innovative projects dedicated to safety and sustainability”.

http://www.arcelormittal.com/industry/roadsafety
http://www.arcelormittal.com/industry/magnelis