Galvanized Steel as a Sustainable Material-Technology and Failure Analysis

Abstract

The building industry is responsible for 40% of global CO2 emissions and 36% of global energy consumption. Therefore, it is not surprising that the industry is motivated to embrace more environment-friendly procedures and turning to more environment-friendly materials and manufacturing processes. Driven by ever-stricter environmental norms and regulations, as well as rising costs, galvanizing is considered as an affordable, again, an environment-friendly and 'green' corrosion protection method. In order to prevent corrosion and produce a tough, long-lasting surface, clean steel is coated with a layer of molten zinc during the hot-dip galvanizing process. It has the extra benefit of completely covering the steel, making it more durable than conventional coatings that just adhere chemically or mechanically. As a result, it is not only very efficient but also very environment-friendly. A single, one-time treatment will completely coat a product's interior and exterior, giving it a coating that can shield steel and keep it from needing maintenance for more than 70 years. In this paper, galvanizing will be introduced as an efficient, affordable, and environment-friendly anti-corrosion method. Technical issues related to the process are presented and challenges associated with galvanizing are addressed. The experimental part includes measuring the zinc coating layer using optical microscopy. Failure cases related to galvanized structures which include bridges, bolts, and fire affected monopole are discussed, root causes were analyzed, and recommendations are provided.