August 23, 2022
In a variety of applications, you expect metal parts, pieces, or structures to arrive on-site already galvanized. This is what is in the order, after all. In any construction project, the ability to stay on time is also vital to staying on budget. Time is money, after all! When something arrives in a condition you didn't expect, it sets you back.
What to Do When a Project Can't Move Forward
Picture the scene: you ordered steel beams that were specified to be galvanized but showed up in a less-than-ideal condition.
This could happen in three main ways:
- The material shows up badly scratched from transport, storage, or delivery at the job site.
- The galvanizing job is substandard and does not fall within the specification.
- The material shows up completely ungalvanized.
None of these situations are good for your schedule or your budget. You can't move forward without steel beams in exactly the right condition.
G90 vs. G60
Let's pause for a moment and further discuss situation number two mentioned above. This would occur if you ordered G90, but what showed up is G60. These numbers are for hot-dipped galvanizing and equate to the thickness of the zinc on the surface. The higher number, 90, means longer protection. If you get G60 instead of G90, you're not going to be happy.
You can get the same G90-protection by adding ZRC Cold Galvanizing Compound. Simply write a change order that states you received G60 and want to add ZRC in order to be equated to G90. This is a simple fix to a complex, frustrating problem.
Why Would This Happen?
At the very beginning of this project, the architect or engineer said in construction documents that the metal structure needed to be hot-dipped galvanized to avoid corrosion. Where did it all go wrong from there? The truth is that things can unravel quickly, by mistake or accident.
These documents are sent over to you as the contractor. You either didn't read them correctly or made a simple error when ordering. It's also possible that the order was put in correctly but arrived wrong. One day, you're on the job site and get the material — only to realize that it's not in the right condition! It's also possible that the inspector on-site informs you that the steel is supposed to be hot-dipped galvanized and it's not.
Perhaps no one did anything wrong, but weather or outside factors affected your order. Sitting for a period of time with straps on it or being left outside in the rain are both known to affect the quality of steel beams before construction.
Regardless of why the steel isn't in good condition, you now have a decision to make. How are you going to fix it? You can either send the materials back — wasting time and spending more money — or use a ZRC product to galvanize the existing beams on-site and keep your project on track.
Keep Your Project On Time and Under-Budget
No matter which of the three stressful situations listed above have occurred for you, ZRC is the solution. If the material shows up badly damaged, you can use our products to restore the hot dip galvanizing to as good as new. In the case of the galvanization not falling within the specification, use ZRC to add another layer of zinc. If the material shows up completely ungalvanized, ZRC can provide a coating that will be equivalent to hot dip galvanizing.
Sending your steel beams back for regalvanizing (or galvanizing in the first place!) could take months. You don't have that time to wait. In our industry, time is money. We can ship it almost immediately. We have a large store of inventory, almost always in stock. Depending on where you are, we also have ZRC dealers that will get you your needed product at lightning speed.
Not Just Any Solution Will Do
ZRC is the only solution that can provide the equivalent of hot-dipped galvanization. We can say this with confidence because we are recognized by Underwriters Laboratories (UL). UL is a non-profit organization known throughout many industries for its focus on regulations and safety. ZRC is recognized under the component program of UL for the repair of hot-dipped galvanizing. In fact, we achieved this way back in 1958 and have been retested every year since then.
UL testers show up unannounced, takes samples to make sure we haven't changed anything in the formula, and then test privately in their own laboratory. Not only do we still have the letter from 1958, we get a new one each and every year!
The only thing left to do is to decide which ZRC product is right for your specific application. Our product guide will help you decide. As always, if you have any questions, reach out to us and ask!
