NEWS ARTICLE ARCHIVESCreating Durable Steel with Zinc from Galvanizers Association AustraliaNo other protective coating for steel provides the long life, durability, and predictable performance of hot dip galvanizing. An alloy of its steel base, a galvanized coating is unique in matching the design and handling characteristics of steel with its inertness to the high to extreme UV levels prevailing over the Australian continent. As asset management and life cycle costing become even more essential, after-fabrication hot dip galvanizing provides a predictable, engineered result. Hot dip galvanized steel will normally corrode 10 to 40 times slower than bare steel, depending on the environment. In addition, zinc, the core element of the hot dip galvanizing process, is a naturally occurring element, is essential for life and is 100% recyclable. The life to first maintenance (LFM) of a hot dip galvanized article is the time interval which elapses after the initial coating of the steel until the galvanizing deteriorates to the point when maintenance is necessary to restore protection of the steel base. The LFM is a function of both the thickness of the zinc alloy coating (which is, by itself, a function of the thickness of the steel), and the nature of the environment. |