Galvanizing Applications: Fencing

Galvanizing

So, how do we protect the very things we’ve installed for protection? The answer is hot-dip galvanization, which makes the steel stronger, longer-lasting, and resilient against all sorts of damage and allows fences to excel in an impressive variety of use cases.

Use Cases for Hot-Dip Galvanized Fencing

There are a lot of uses for galvanized steel fencing. While many people choose the superior protection and durability for agricultural purposes, the benefits can have creative applications. Let’s explore a few of the possibilities for using galvanized steel fencing.

Sound Dampening Barrier

The Department of Transportation and Development in Louisiana has chosen to use galvanized steel fencing to create a barrier alongside Interstate 12. The tough galvanized properties of the barrier allow it to dampen the sound of traffic for local residents while ensuring it will last a long time with little maintenance.

Sound and Weather Dampening

Likewise, a galvanized steel barrier is being used alongside I-465 in Indiana. The durable nature of the barrier will allow it to withstand the corrosive salt used on the interstate during the tough Midwest winters.

Chicken Barn

There are nearly endless examples of galvanized steel being used in structures to house animals. For instance, Versova has constructed a barn to house around 200,000 chickens using galvanization.

Not only will the structure have the sturdiness and long lifespan of galvanized steel, but the galvanization process results in metals that are environmentally safe and free of any toxins or pollutants that might harm the barn’s inhabitants.

Any Day Now Farm in Kentucky has also leveraged galvanized steel for everything from horse stall gates to fence paneling to provide efficiency and durability alongside aesthetics.

Defying the Forces of Nature

Galvanized fencing is a stalwart first line of defense against the elements in all their fury. Unlike other materials, it can take a beating from all sides in all weather and remain standing strong.

Rust

Untreated steel and iron are at the mercy of moisture and oxidation, rusting away and requiring frequent maintenance and cleaning.

Galvanized steel, on the other hand, turns away rust with its impenetrable zinc-alloy coating. Zinc is a natural rust repellent and the perfect material to protect vulnerable metals against corrosion.

Weather

The winds buffet, downpours soak, hail pelts and batters, storms rumble, and none of it matters to galvanized steel fencing. Not only is the zinc-alloy coating resistant to moisture and rust, it’s also strong against abrasions. That means no amount of debris or falling rocks of ice will penetrate to the steel underneath. And, because of that resistance to abrasion, any cleaning or repainting that needs to be done will be easier on the smooth, galvanized surface of the fencing.

Time

The most powerful force of all, time moves through all things in an unstoppable wave of change and erosion. And while a galvanized steel fence will eventually succumb and need repairing or replacement, it could be decades before that happens. Galvanized fencing doesn’t just last years, it lasts generations.

Affordable and Efficient Protection that Lasts

All of these benefits might seem like they should come with a high price tag to match, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, galvanized steel fencing actually saves money.  

Sturdier fencing means less damage, which means less money spent on repairs and maintenance. Less maintenance means fewer man hours spent on the fencing, which means more time to work on other things. Longer lasting galvanized steel means fewer replacements than stone, wood or untreated steel, and a stronger fence means better protection for everything inside of its protective barrier.

To learn more about hot dip galvanizing, visit https://www.azz.com/products/hot-dip-galvanizing.

Design Considerations for Galvanizing: Distortion and Warping

Galvanizing

When the decision is made to hot-dip galvanize, the design engineer should ensure that the pieces can be suitably fabricated for highest-quality galvanizing. Best practice suggests steel to be galvanized should be symmetrical and of similar thickness.

Steel being galvanized progresses through a temperature cycle upon immersion into and withdrawal from the galvanizing bath. Because parts are immersed at an angle, uneven heating occurs, creating a temperature profile along the part being galvanized. This temperature profile allows the steel’s internal stresses to be relieved at different times in the immersion cycle. These stresses may cause changes in shape and/or alignment (distortion and warping).

The following steps can be taken to minimize this risk:

• Where possible, use symmetrically rolled sections in preference to angle or channel frames. I-beams are preferred to angles or channels.
• Use parts in an assembly of equal or near equal thickness, especially at joints.
• Use temporary bracing or reinforcing on thin-walled and asymmetrical designs.
• Bend members to the largest acceptable radii to minimize local stress concentration.

Accurately pre-form members of an assembly so it is not necessary to force, spring, or bend them into position during joining. Continuously weld joints using balanced welding techniques to reduce uneven thermal stresses. Pinholes from welding are very dangerous in items to be galvanized and must be avoided. Staggered welding techniques to produce a structural weld are acceptable. For staggered welding of 1/8-inch (4 mm) or lighter material, weld centers should be closer than 4 inches (10 cm).

Avoid designs that require progressive-dip galvanizing. It is preferable to build assemblies and subassemblies in suitable modules so they can be immersed quickly and galvanized in a single dip. In this way, the entire fabrication can expand and contract uniformly. Where progressive dipping is required, consult your galvanizer.

Consult your galvanizer regarding the use of temporary bracing or reinforcing.

Design Considerations for Galvanizing: Dissimilar Metals in Contact

Galvanizing

Hot-dip galvanized steel is well suited for use in a variety of environments and fabrications, and sometimes is placed in contact with different metals including, among others, stainless steel, aluminum, copper and weathering steel.

Metals near each other in the galvanic series have little effect on each other. Generally, as the separation between metals in the series increases, the corroding effect on the metal higher in the series increases as well.

Relative surface areas of contacting dissimilar metals is also relevant in determining which metal exhibits accelerated corrosion. It is undesirable to have a large cathode surface in contact with a relatively small anode surface.

Galvanic corrosion occurs when two different metals are in contact in a corrosive environment: one of the metals experiences an accelerated corrosion rate. The contacting metals form a bimetallic couple because of their different affinities (or attraction) for electrons. These different affinities create an electrical potential between the two metals, allowing current to flow.

The metal higher in the galvanic series of metals, the anode, provides protection for the metal lower in the series, the cathode.

As can be seen from the galvanic series, zinc protects the lower-order steel.

With respect to contacting surface areas of the two metals, although the corrosion current that flows between the cathode and anode is independent of area, the rate of penetration at the anode does depends on current density. Thus, a large anode area in contact with a relatively small cathode area is generally not problematic. Regardless, environmental conditions remain large determinants of corrosion rates.

Design considerations courtesy of American Galvanizers Association. The AGA also has the publication, The Design of Products to be Hot-Dip Galvanized After Fabrication, available for download.