Overview
EN ISO 12944-5:2019 - Paints and varnishes: Corrosion protection of steel structures by protective paint systems - Part 5 describes the types of paints and protective paint systems commonly used to protect steel from corrosion. Issued by CEN and identical to ISO 12944-5:2019, this part of the ISO 12944 series provides guidance for selecting paint systems for different corrosivity environments (reference ISO 12944‑2) and for different surface-preparation grades (reference ISO 12944‑4). Note: corrosivity category CX and category Im4 are excluded from the selection tables in this part.
Key topics and technical requirements
- Types of paint: Generic paint families are listed and described (examples include alkyd, acrylic, ethyl silicate, epoxy, polyurethane, polyaspartic and polysiloxane coatings).
- Paint systems: Guidance on primers, intermediate coats and topcoats, including types of primers and their roles.
- Surface preparation: Refers to ISO 12944‑4 for required preparation grades-surface state is central to system performance.
- Durability and expected service life: Relates to durability grades defined in ISO 12944‑1 and factors affecting longevity.
- Dry film thickness (DFT): Importance of specified DFT for system performance and compliance.
- Application: Differences between shop (factory) and site application and implications for system selection.
- Selection tables: Ready-to-use tables for environments C2 to C5 and indoor classes Im1, Im2, Im3 to help select appropriate systems.
- Annexes: Normative and informative annexes include minimum requirements, paint systems for carbon steel, hot-dip galvanised steel, thermal-sprayed metallic coatings, and pre-fabrication primers.
Practical applications and users
EN ISO 12944-5:2019 is used by:
- Asset owners and operators - for specifying protective systems that meet required service life.
- Designers and consultants - to select suitable coating families and system architectures.
- Contractors and applicators - for practical guidance on primers, shop vs site application and DFT.
- Inspectors and QA/QC personnel - to verify that delivered systems conform to selected specifications.
- Coating manufacturers - to align product data with internationally recognized system categories.
This part supports corrosion protection decisions across bridges, buildings, industrial plants and marine-exposed steelwork by linking environmental classification to practical paint-system options.
Related standards
- ISO 12944‑1 (general) - durability grades and introductory guidance
- ISO 12944‑2 - environment corrosivity classification
- ISO 12944‑4 - surface preparation requirements
For detailed specifications, normative requirements and complete selection tables consult the full EN ISO 12944-5:2019 document.
