Crash Barrier

How Zinc Galvanizing Protects Crash Barriers and Saves Lives

Crash barrier are essential safety features on roads, designed to prevent vehicles from veering off the road and to minimize the impact of collisions. Ensuring their durability and effectiveness is critical for road safety.

Zinc galvanizing, a process that involves coating steel with a layer of zinc, has proven to be an effective method for enhancing the longevity and performance of crash barriers. This blog delves into how zinc galvanizing protects crash barriers and ultimately saves lives.

Crash Barrier for Road Safety

Crash barrier are engineered to absorb and dissipate the energy of a vehicle impact, reducing the risk of serious injuries or fatalities. They are commonly found on highways, bridges, and sharp curves where the likelihood of accidents is high. The effectiveness of these barriers is contingent upon their structural integrity and resistance to environmental factors such as corrosion.

The Process of Zinc Galvanizing

Zinc galvanizing involves immersing steel components in molten zinc, forming a metallurgical bond that results in a robust and corrosion-resistant coating. This process can be divided into several stages:

  1. Surface Preparation: The steel surface is cleaned to remove impurities, rust, and scale through processes like degreasing, pickling, and fluxing.
  2. Galvanizing: The cleaned steel is dipped into a bath of molten zinc, which reacts with the steel to form multiple layers of zinc-iron alloy.
  3. Cooling and Inspection: The coated steel is cooled and inspected for uniformity and coating thickness.

Benefits of Zinc Galvanizing for Crash Barriers

  1. Corrosion Resistance: Zinc galvanizing provides superior protection against corrosion. The zinc coating helps in preventing moisture along with other corrosive elements from reaching the steel. This is particularly important for crash barriers exposed to harsh weather conditions, de-icing salts, and pollutants.
  2. Long-Lasting Protection: Galvanized steel can last several decades without significant maintenance, ensuring that crash barriers remain functional over extended periods. This longevity reduces the need for frequent replacements and repairs, which can be costly and disruptive to traffic.
  3. Sacrificial Protection: Zinc galvanizing offers sacrificial protection, meaning that the zinc layer will corrode preferentially to the steel. Even if the coating is damaged, one does not have to worry. As the exposed steel will remain protected by the surrounding zinc. Such a process helps in prolonging the barrier’s lifespan.
  4. Impact Resistance: The metallurgical bond formed during the galvanizing process enhances the impact resistance of the steel, making crash barriers more robust in the event of a collision. This ensures that the barriers can effectively absorb and dissipate impact energy, reducing the severity of accidents.
  5. Cost-Effectiveness: While the initial cost of galvanizing might be higher than other protective coatings, the long-term savings are substantial. Reduced maintenance, longer service life, and decreased frequency of replacements make zinc galvanizing a cost-effective solution for crash barriers.

Case Studies and Real-World Applications

Several real-world examples highlight the effectiveness of zinc-galvanized crash barriers. For instance, in coastal regions where saltwater exposure accelerates corrosion, galvanized crash barriers have demonstrated remarkable durability and performance. Similarly, in areas with extreme weather conditions, such as heavy snowfall or high humidity, galvanized barriers have maintained their integrity and continued to provide reliable protection.

Environmental Considerations

Zinc galvanizing is an environmentally friendly process. Zinc is a naturally occurring element that is essential for all living organisms, and the galvanizing process produces minimal waste. Additionally, galvanized steel is fully recyclable.

Conclusion

Zinc galvanizing plays a pivotal role in enhancing the safety and longevity of crash barriers. By providing superior corrosion resistance, impact durability, and cost-effectiveness, galvanized crash barriers ensure that our roads are safer and more reliable. Investing in zinc-galvanized crash barriers is not just a financial decision but a commitment to saving lives and protecting infrastructure for years to come.

Electro Galvanised Steel

Electro Galvanized Steel Vs Galvanized Steel

Suggested Topic: Know the Differences Between Electro Galvanised Steel and Galvanised Steel

Galvanization is the process where you apply a protective coating of zinc on the iron or steel to prevent it from rusting. While doing this method, one should take proper care of the same. This process can be hazardous to the person if not done correctly. It will also cause damage or malfunction of the equipment, instrument, and many more.

Before choosing the process, one must indulge in thorough research and understand the difference between electro-galvanized steel and galvanized steel. Knowing the difference can help a person to be safe while selecting the right and most appropriate method and product according to the specific requirement and needs of the business. Otherwise, it can just be a waste of money and time.

Difference between electro-galvanized steel and galvanized steel

Here are some basic differences between galvanized steel and electro-galvanizing.

  • In the case of galvanized steel, one needs to follow up a rigid cleaning process. This process is also known as the 7-bath process. But when it comes to electro-galvanizing, one need not have to follow such stringent cleaning methods.
  • To achieve the galvanized steel coating, the steel is said to get dipped in the molten zinc bath at a temperature variation of 460° c. But for the electro galvanization, the steel gets prepared in a cathode in the electrolytic cell that forms a coating while using the electroplating process.
  • Electro-galvanizing indeed has a very low life ranging from several months to a few years. But in the case of galvanized steel, the average lifespan is between 20 years to 50 years. However, electro galvanization produces an excellent finish. But the galvanized steel offers an unpleasant and dull finish.
  • Above all, the coating thickness of the galvanized steel is about 80 to 100um. Also, the thickness depends entirely upon the dipping duration. The composition and the roughness of the steel affect the same. When it comes to electro galvanization, the coaching thickness is about 10 to 12 um. The current density and the temperature of the electrolyte determine the thickness of the coating in this case.
  • The galvanized steel offers a non-uniform coating. But in the case of electro-galvanized steel, one can expect a uniform coating.

 Cost

When it comes to the cost, galvanized steel, having a normal coat thickness, becomes 40% more expensive than electro-galvanized steel. The electro-galvanized steel has a normal coat thickness, which makes it a lot affordable. The cost happens to increase proportionately with the higher coating thickness.

It becomes extremely necessary for a person to choose a reputed company to select either electro-galvanized steel or galvanized steel to get top-class service.

Why Choose Tanya Galvanizers

Tanya Galvanizers provides the best quality service and products according to your needs and requirements. Whether it is electro-galvanized steel or galvanizing steel, we are the leading name in the market.

Since we have decades of industry experience, we provide the best solution for your requirement. If you are looking for either electro-galvanized steel or galvanized steel, we would be happy to help you.