Corten Steel Sculpture and How the Patina Really Behaves
What weathering steel does over its first years outdoors, what it does to the paving underneath, and what to detail at design stage.
Capability
Corten Steel Weathering and Patina Control
How weathering steel is fabricated so the colour arrives settled, the welds do not show, and the run off does not stain the paving.
Stage by Stage
5 Stages Each With the Problem It Solves
Each stage lists what normally goes wrong at that point, then how it is handled here.
1
Plate and Thickness
Weathering steel loses a little thickness to the patina, so a plate chosen only for appearance can end up under strength.
Plate thickness is set from the structure of the piece and the exposure, and confirmed against the drawing before cutting.
2
Forming and Welding
Weld metal that does not match the parent plate weathers to a different colour and leaves visible stripes.
Structural seams are welded and then ground so the patina forms evenly across the joint instead of stopping at it.
3
Drainage
Water trapped inside a hollow Corten form attacks it from the inside, where nobody looks.
Vent and drainage holes are positioned during design and checked to be open before dispatch.
4
Accelerated Weathering
Untreated weathering steel arrives silver grey, then stains everything below it for a year while it turns.
The patina is brought on in the workshop so the piece ships already the colour it will keep.
5
Site Detailing
Run off marks pale paving permanently.
We recommend a gravel or dark stone margin under the piece at the design stage, which absorbs run off without showing it.
Applies To
Ranges This Capability Covers
Related Reading
Guides on This Subject
Frequently Asked Questions
At which stage is the price fixed
When the design is signed off. Before that a price is indicative, because the material, the structure and the finish are still moving.
How much of this happens in your own workshop
All of the fabrication and finishing. Cutting, forming, welding, seam dressing, polishing and packing are done in the same 12,000 square metre building in Shenzhen.
Can we visit or see progress
Progress photographs are sent through the build, and the finished piece is stood up and photographed from every side for written approval before it is crated. Workshop visits can be arranged.
What is the most common cause of delay
Design approval, followed by the foundation. Both are inside the client's control, which is why the base plate and anchor pattern are issued early enough to pour while fabrication is still running.
Bring Us In Before the Design Is Locked
The cheapest place to solve a fabrication problem is on the drawing. Send what you have and we will tell you what it will cost you later if it stays as it is.