The International Zinc Association (IZA) will launch its new publication, The Essentials of Galvanizing, during a webinar hosted by Creamer Media Contract Publishing on July 15, 2020. The publication offers the civil engineering and construction industry valuable insights into the importance of galvanizing to ensure the viability of its projects.

The IZA Africa Desk, in collaboration with leading galvanizing expert Terry Smith, have prepared this key guide to enable consulting engineers, designers and architects to access expert industry knowledge and global insights tailored to the South African reality.

The IZA's Essentials of Galvanizing is a new publication containing a compilation of recently published information that is invaluable to consulting engineers and specifiers and is set out in a revised format with fully updated information, specifications and prices.

The hot dip galvanizing of steel structures and steel items, such as reinforcing steel, is a cost-effective way of preventing the premature corrosion of steel, ensuring a long life for steel in corrosive environments.

Zinc is at the heart of all hot dip galvanizing and provides remarkable corrosion protection for steel in coastal environments and in deep-mining environments.

The key objective of the book launch is to focus on zinc as the major component of galvanizing which is an effective form of corrosion protection. The webinar aims to provide attendees with a brief overview of the South African construction and civil engineering industries and some rich technical input from experts on galvanizing.

“To move the building and construction industries forward, a long functional life is essential, and preventing the corrosion of steel structures using hot dip galvanizing is a big step towards this,” says the International Zinc Association’s Simon Norton.

Hot dip galvanizing is the process of dipping pre-treated steel in hot molten zinc to form a metallurgically bonded layer on the steel. When exposed to the atmosphere, a series of chemical reactions take place, eventually forming zinc hydroxy carbonate. This is a dull grey, fairly strong material that protects the underlying steel from further corrosion.

Galvanized steel is widely used in applications where corrosion protection is required and is considered superior in terms of cost and life cycle when compared with painting the steel.

“Once a mainstay of construction and design projects, the galvanizing of steel is increasingly being overlooked to save costs. However, the long-term value that galvanizing offers calls for this practice to be reconsidered,” says co-author Smith. Smith is Africa’s leading expert on galvanizing and coatings for corrosion protection.

Zinc is also a highly recyclable, valuable material, with several uses besides galvanizing. It is beneficial for human and animal health; it is used as fertilizer to increase crop yields; it ensures the sustainability of projects by providing low-maintenance corrosion protection; and it is a sustainable material.

Essentials of Galvanizing pulls together 50 years of knowledge regarding corrosion, coatings and galvanizing technology.

“The book comprises clearly marked sections allowing ease of use, and provides information on the most important topics on galvanizing,” says Smith.

Across seven chapters, the book addresses all aspects of galvanizing most relevant to professionals responsible for specifications on industrial construction projects.

Starting with specifications and standards, the guide also offers important information on metallic zinc coatings and technicalities, alternative applications of metallic zinc coatings and hot dip galvanizing in mining applications, besides other topics of importance to industry professionals.

The book is particularly useful for anybody in the construction or design industry requiring a quick referencing guide on the “how and what“ of galvanizing, as well as the facts that help sell a team or client on the importance of galvanizing, notes Norton.

The IZA encourages all architects, design engineers and consulting engineers, including engineering students and interns, to attend the webinar to hear from leading experts in the galvanizing and construction industries.

Click here to register to attend the webinar.