Performance
Durability
The useful life of galvanization depends on four factors:
- Thickness of zinc coating
- Rainfalls’ acidity to which it is exposed
- Level of acid pollution in the atmosphere
- Erosion caused by sand and dust carried by the wind
Lasting
| Far from the coast, industrial zone, heavy industries Minimum life | ≈ 20 years |
| Inshore area, industrial zone, heavy industry Minimum life | ≈ 20 years |
| Far from coast, urban environment, light and medium industry Medium life | ≈ 30 years |
| Inshore area, urban area, farming area Medium life | ≈ 30 years |
| Far from coast, farming area Longer life | ≈ 65 years |
Recyclability
Hot-Dip galvanized steel can be indefinitely reused without limit of application. There is a clear difference between a steel beam, which after being remelted can get any form and function, and a concrete beam, whose concrete after being separated from the rebar, can just be re-used as inert, like sand and gravel, but it will never become cement again.
Eco-friendly
More than other treatments against corrosion, hot-dip galvanizing reduces the consumption of steel, of oil and of electricity; it reduces the production of waste and the consumption of cooling water in power plants and in steel industries; it avoids the emissions responsible for greenhouse, acidification, destruction of the ozone layer, eutrophication and formation of photochemical oxidants.