Weathering steel buidlings

[sirenwerks]

I picked up a set of Deluxe Innovation's ARMCO buildings. Nice kits. I plan on dusting them at the bottom and possibly some rust on the concrete base and mud splashes near the parking area, but any other ideas on their weathering? Did they rust externally or fade in the sunlight? And where the roofs basically bare metal or where they painted like the exterior walls?

[wm3798]

The metal siding used on those buildings is actually pretty durable.  The painted siding is called "Galvalume" which is very rust resistant.  Where you would get rust would be anywhere the siding is damaged, such as where a vehicle might back into a corner or something.  You could also get streaking where the fasteners are set, which would typically be at ribs placed at 4' on center perpendicular to the ribs of the siding.  Typically you'd see this more on the roof.

Your rust stains on the foundation slab would generally be located where the steel frame is attached to the slab, 8 or 10' on center.  Maybe 12'.

Lee

[sirenwerks]

Thanks for the tip on spacing for the foundation streaks. On the roof, would there be any rust collection along the ribs, say closer to the edge, near the gutter hangers? Or possibly around the windows, around the drip cap or sill. or the siding below?

[wm3798]

A lot is going to hinge on the age of the building you're modeling, and the type of use it's going to represent.  Take a look at some prototypes and see what you see.  In my experience, these types of structures are relatively new, and the nature of the finish does a good job of preventing rust.  It's not like old galvanized corrugated steel, which junks up pretty quickly.
You might see more dust and dirt accumulating around the gutters and kicked up on the sides than you would see rust.

Lee