Horse Stalls : What is meant by “hot-dip galvanizing”
When buying horse stalls, stall buildings, gates and arenas, there is only one way to look at it – short term costs versus long term costs.
Although painted equipment and pregalvanizedequipment seem to be an economical choice, you usually end up paying more in the long run. Get a higher return on your investment. Invest in Triton hot dip galvanized after fabrication equipment. Hot dip galvanized seals in the strength by bonding metallic zink to steel for the ultimate protection from corrosion.
Facts about hot-dip galvanizing
- Using zinc to protect steel from corrosion (hot-dip galvanizing) is a 150-year-old practice!
- Corrosion is caused by the inherent tendency of metals, when subjected to air and moisture, to revert to their original earthly forms, usually an ore state. They do this through a chemical or electrochemical reaction with the environment.
- Galvanizer’s kettles (GalvaSource) are set at temperatures ranging between 815 F and 850 F (435 C to 454 C).
- Zinc seals the underlying steel from contact with its environment. If the steel is exposed to the elements due to mechanical damage, the surrounding zinc corrodes sacrificially, protection the underlying steel from corrosive attack.
- The zinc coating on galvanized steel is uniform: inside, outside, corners and edges.
- The hot-dip galvanized reinforcing steel bond with concrete is at least as great as the bond of bare steel to concrete.
- Hot-dip galvanized steel lasts longer today than it did 20 years ago. Because of environmental laws, our air is cleaner and less contaminated with corrosive emissions.
- Corrosion annually costs the U.S. economy 3.2 percent of the gross national product, over $279 billion. Indirect costs to the public could raise the percentage to as much as 6 percent. Some indirect costs of corrosion are: lost productivity due to traffic delays, accidents caused by corroded hand and guardrails, excessive use of nature’s raw materials.
Galvanizing specifications
ASTM A-123
Hot Dip Galvanizing after fabrication provides the longest lasting-lowest maintenance products in the Ag market today.
All steel products to be Hot Dip Galvanized must be properly designed and prepared to allow proper coating.
1. Design:
Drainage or weep holes must be located top and bottom at each end of each horizontal tube to allow the molten zinc to flow inside and then drain back out of the part during the dipping process. All products to be hot dip galvanized must be designed to take into consideration stresses related with the hot dipping process. Amos uses only “prime steel” manufactured under ASTM A 513 standards with minimum 50,000 lb. psi yield.
2. Cleaning:
Material must be cleaned and free of oils, dirt or other foreign particles.
3. Coverage: minimum
1.8 mill of molten zinc, which conforms with Specification B-6.
4. Bath properties:
The galvanizing bath contains not less than 98% zinc by weight.
5. Finish:
To provide the user with a brighter-longer lasting finish, “all” of Amos Agri Products are Chromate quenched after the hot dip galvanizing process.
Note: The True Cost of Not Hot Dip Galvanizing (Source- American Galvanizing Association)
The most commonly cited regular reason for not galvanizing for corrosion protection is costs.
Taking into consideration the saving that will be generated by reduced maintenance over the life of the product, many specifiers choose to paint in hopes of saving a few dollars.
Take a world-renowned landmark like the Eiffel Tower. When the Eiffel Tower was built in 1889 it was constructed with painted steel. Since that time, the tower has been repainted 17 times. Maintenance is scheduled to take place every 7 years and takes 14 months to complete. The cost of painting the Eiffel Tower has totaled $ 30 million dollars since 1889. Corrosion experts estimate $ 11 million could have been saved had they hot dip galvanized then painted.
Closer to home, a steel fabricator in Ohio recently made the decision to paint the hand rails at the Cleveland Indians stadium because painting was $ 25,000 cheaper than Hot Dip Galvanizing. What they failed to take into consideration was the astronomical maintenance costs incurred with the painted steel.
After just four years of service the handrails had to be repainted at a cost $350,000. By the time the stadium reaches its useful life, the projected saving will be in the millions. By contrast, the lighting system in the outfield was hot dip galvanized and then painted. To date, none of that steel has required any maintenance.
Hot dip galvanized steel horse stalls will ultimately cost less and provide a long lasting solution.
About the Author
Marc Trimble. TritonBarns.com
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