Hot dip galvanising

Standards: All Steelway Brickhouse steel access covers and associated framework comply with BS EN ISO 1461 (which replaced BS 729 as the basic standard covering hot dip galvanising of iron and steel articles).

The hot dip galvanising process

Advances in the process since its introduction over 150 years ago, have promoted the use of steel in demanding structural and engineering applications which includes steel access covers and associated framework.

The hot dip galvanising process provides steel with maximum protection through a metallurgically bonded, tough coat of zinc. Corrosion rates for zinc are very low and are linear for any given environment.

Galvanising works by ‘sacrificial action’ – the tough zinc coating corroding and sacrificing itself in preference to the steel. In the event of accidental damage to the coating, surrounding elements of zinc are deposited on the steel, resealing it from the atmosphere and stopping corrosion. In comparison, with paint coatings additional protection would have to be applied immediately after the damage occurred.

Product life cycle

The thicker the zinc coating, the longer the life of the steel product. A linear rule dictates that the thicker the section of steel, the thicker and better the zinc coating should be.

Product selection

When considering product longevity, please consider the following points before deciding on a product’s suitability. The thicker the material section, the thicker the galvanising and consequently the longer the product life cycle.

For further information on the galvanising process, please contact our customer sales/
technical advisory team. Guidelines should always be followed.