Battling Corrosion in the Southeast: The Power of Hot-Dip Galvanizing

Battling Corrosion in the Southeast: The Power of Hot-Dip Galvanizing

The southeastern United States, with its picturesque coastal landscapes and vibrant industrial hubs, faces a unique challenge: corrosion. The region’s high humidity, frequent rainfall, and proximity to the ocean make it a prime breeding ground for rust and deterioration. However, there is a formidable solution that has proven its mettle time and time again – hot-dip galvanizing.

By immersing metal in molten zinc, hot-dip galvanizing creates a protective barrier that shields against the corrosive forces of the Southeast’s environment.

Hot-Dip Galvanizing: The Ultimate Corrosion Barrier

Hot-dip galvanizing provides unmatched corrosion resistance, making it an ideal choice for the Southeast. The zinc coating acts as a sacrificial barrier, corroding preferentially to the underlying metal. This sacrificial protection ensures the preservation of structures and equipment by shielding them from the damaging effects of rust and deterioration.

Ideal for Coastal and High-Humidity Environments

The Southeast’s coastal areas and high humidity levels make hot-dip galvanizing even more crucial. It protects against saltwater exposure, humidity, and airborne pollutants. The zinc coating’s resilience in harsh coastal conditions and high humidity environments ensures the longevity and durability of structures, bridges, marine applications, and offshore installations.

Cost-Effective and Sustainable

Hot-dip galvanizing not only prevents corrosion but also offers long-term cost savings. Structures and equipment that undergo galvanizing require minimal maintenance, reducing the need for frequent inspections, repairs, and repainting. Additionally, the recyclability of zinc aligns with sustainable practices, reducing the environmental impact and contributing to a more sustainable future.

Hot-dip galvanizing is the go-to solution for preventing corrosion in the Southeastern United States. Its unmatched corrosion resistance, ability to withstand coastal environments and high humidity, and long-term cost savings make it an essential protective measure for metal structures and equipment. By choosing hot-dip galvanizing, businesses and infrastructure projects can ensure the longevity, safety, and sustainability of their assets in the face of corrosion.

Large or Small, AZZ is Ready to Protect Your Next Project

Constructed in 2019 and equipped with the latest advancements in the industry, AZZ Galvanizing – South Carolina’s commitment to providing high-quality hot-dip galvanizing services has already earned it a reputation as a leading coatings provider in the Southeast.

Touting the largest galvanizing kettle along the East Coast and a 25-ton crane system, AZZ’s highly automated facility can easily move and dip the region’s largest structures. From transmission and cellular towers to components such as girders, beams and support columns, we’re equipped and ready for the most challenging projects.

Ready to make AZZ your hot-dip galvanizing partner? Contact us today to get started!

American Galvanizers Association Excellence Awards: Hippo Hopper Self Dumpsters (Original Equipment Manufacturing)

American Galvanizers Association Excellence Awards: Hippo Hopper Self Dumpsters (Original Equipment Manufacturing)

The Hippo Hopper self-dumpster has various applications for industrial and construction related waste and debris. Much of the debris is recyclable and requires single product containment for various material to be picked up by a recycling company.

Material such as metal shavings, wood products, wire, plastics, dross, filters, and bulk material mixing are just a few options that can be captured for recycle. These can be offered as well with lids, tarps, winches, and casters/wheels to provide multiple access to working surfaces and environments.

A hot-dip galvanized product was missing from their traditional painted inventory. After customer demand required a galvanized product, they decided to pursue adding HDG to the product line. Some discussion was required to have proper prep for the HDG process to satisfy all parties involved including the end user. Due to the extension of a hot-dip galvanized offered product line the company has increased sales and exposure to existing and new customers in their industry.

American Galvanizers Association Excellence Awards: Pollinator Pavilion (Civic Contribution Award)

American Galvanizers Association Excellence Awards: Pollinator Pavilion (Civic Contribution Award)

Designed and constructed by students at the University of Kansas School of Architecture, this structure acts as a gateway entrance to a prairie on the site of the Kansas Children’s Discovery Center in Topeka, Kansas. The design of the structure stems from the Kansas state bird, the Western Meadowlark, as well as other pollinator species native to Kansas prairies. The incorporation of these elements offers the children visiting the museum a chance to learn about the various pollinators that exist within the prairie. Furthermore, to withstand prescribed burns of the prairie, the entirety of the structure is composed of steel. To ensure this pavilion would remain at the museum for many years to come, the steel structure was specified to be hot-dip galvanized.

This project stands as an important component of a children’s museum, therefore protecting the steel from corrosion in the reach of children was a major safety priority. In addition, galvanizing allows for maximizing structural longevity for future generations to enjoy. This leads to less maintenance during the lifespan of the project. The hot-dip galvanizing finish compliments the lighter aesthetic of the prairie landscape as opposed to the darker finish of an ungalvanized structure.

Compared to alternative coating methods, galvanizing is the best option for addressing the requirements of the Pollinator Pavilion. Hot-dip galvanizing adds a thicker layer of zinc compared to other metallic finishes such as electroplating. This is a necessary step for the outdoor setting as a protective measure against the elements. However, there were challenges that came with galvanizing this project. The largest piece of the structure is composed of welded connections, forming one continuous piece that was much taller than the zinc kettle at the galvanizing plant in Kansas City. This posed the challenge of needing to progressively dip this piece to be sufficiently coated, adding extra steps to the process, and requiring extra attention to detail. Fortunately, the crew at the galvanizing plant were able to help the students achieve optimum coverage of their project.

The result of the hot-dip galvanizing process of the Pollinator Pavilion offers an interactive and educational experience in an environment that caters to the imagination and curiosity of children. By resisting corrosion, the structure will not only be considered safe for the visitors of the museum, but it will also remain present for future generations. Despite the challenges that arose during the process, hot-dip galvanizing proved to be a necessary factor of the project that promises safety and longevity.


Protecting Metal Gratings: The Benefits of Hot Dip Galvanizing

Protecting Metal Gratings: The Benefits of Hot Dip Galvanizing

When metal gratings are hot-dip galvanized, they receive a durable and long-lasting protective coating that helps to prevent corrosion and rusting.

When applied to metal gratings, hot dip galvanizing offers a number of key benefits:

  • Corrosion resistance: Metal gratings are often exposed to harsh environments that can cause corrosion and rust. Hot dip galvanizing creates a protective layer that helps prevent corrosion, even in highly corrosive environments.
  • Durability: Galvanized metal gratings are highly durable and can withstand heavy loads, extreme temperatures, and frequent use. This makes them ideal for use in industrial settings, transportation infrastructure, and other demanding applications.
  • Low maintenance: Once galvanized, metal gratings require minimal maintenance to remain in good condition. The zinc coating is self-healing, which means it will repair itself if scratched or damaged. This reduces the need for frequent repairs and replacements, saving time and money over the long term.
  • Aesthetics: Galvanized metal gratings have a distinctive silver-grey appearance that can complement a wide range of architectural styles. This can make them a good choice for both functional and decorative applications.

Environmentally friendly: Zinc is a natural and abundant element that can be recycled indefinitely without losing its properties. This makes hot dip galvanizing an environmentally friendly choice for protecting metal gratings.

In conclusion, hot dip galvanizing is a proven and effective way to protect metal gratings from corrosion, wear, and other types of damage. Whether used in industrial, commercial, or public infrastructure projects, galvanized metal gratings offer durability, low maintenance, and long-lasting protection.

American Galvanizers Association Excellence Awards: A Stadium Sized Galvanizing Decision (Lifetime Achievement Award)

American Galvanizers Association Excellence Awards: A Stadium Sized Galvanizing Decision (Lifetime Achievement Award)

The 1997/98 season for the Denver Broncos culminated in the team’s 1st Super Bowl championship after defeating Brett Favre and the Green Bay Packers in a thrilling 31-24 victory. Finally, after 4 Super Bowl defeats, the Broncos could at long last, hoist the Lombardi trophy.

The timing of this victory couldn’t have been better as there was much more at stake for the Broncos than just a championship. The original Mile High Stadium and Broncos home venue since the team’s inception in 1960 was nearing its end as a viable host for NFL games.

The Broncos would require voter support to approve extending an existing tax to offset $270 million of the $400 million needed to construct the new stadium, with then Broncos owner; Pat Bowlen picking up the balance. The failure of similar tax proposals to build new stadiums in other major cities had resulted in the relocation of NFL franchises. Fortunately, and certainly aided by the Superbowl victory, the measure passed in November of 1998, setting the construction wheels in motion to build the new football stadium.

The design/build team of Turner Construction, Empire Construction, Alvarado Construction, and HNTB Architects in association with Fentress Bradburn Architects and Bertram A. Bruton Architects was assembled to make the new stadium vision a reality.

This massive project included more than 500 tons of steel handrail and safety guardrail to help guide and keep safe the 76,125 fans entering and exiting the stadium. Protecting the exposed steel railing from corrosion was an important decision for the design team. With the common understanding any exposed, painted railing would require periodic maintenance, the design team was also considering the wear issues associated with a scratching effect.

As explained by Lanson Nichols; HNTB’s Senior PM for the project, “Our design team recognized a painted pipe-rail would be more easily scratched over time.” The millions of hands wearing rings, watches, carrying phones, keys etc., would hasten the wear of a painted coating and thus require more frequent touch ups. Ice melt chemicals used to keep the walkways and stairs in the stadium free of ice was another corrosion consideration.

Rather than projecting the extensive costs associated with maintaining painted rails, HNTB Architects began considering more durable options including hot-dip galvanizing (HDG). At that time HDG coatings were primarily specified for industrial applications and less often considered for sports/entertainment or similar high-profile venues.

Hot-dip galvanizing is a zinc coating that forms as the result of a chemical reaction when carefully prepared steel is dipped into a kettle of molten zinc. The exceptionally adhered HDG coating provides a bond strength that can reach 3,600 psi. The zinc and iron alloy layers that form on all surfaces of the dipped steel are actually harder than the base metal itself, thus providing the desired durability for this challenging application.

HNTB realized the appearance of the HDG coating was more in keeping with the design intent and the color scheme on the structural steel, lighting racks, upper bowl and other areas of the stadium. The HDG option checked so many boxes that selecting and specifying HDG for all the stadium railing made perfect sense.

Turner Construction broke ground in August of 1999 and construction of the new stadium was completed in August of 2001. Invesco acquired the original naming rights for the stadium and Invesco Field at Mile high opened on August 11, 2001.

Fast forward 21 years. After two name changes (now Empower Field at Mile High), hundreds of Football games, concerts, motor sport events etc., the maintenance free HDG coating has met all expectations. A random spot check inspection at Empower Field in December 2022 confirmed the 22 year old HDG coating is in good condition and well capable of continuing to provide unmatched protection for many seasons to come.

The maintenance savings provided by the decision to galvanize this railing over two decades ago is several times greater than the original cost to galvanize. The forward thinking of design firms like HNTB and the proven track record of galvanized coatings in countless industries has brought hot-dip galvanizing to the forefront for consideration in many more high-profile exposed steel applications.

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