Thomas J. Langill

Zinc, which has been used to hot-dip-galvanize steel for 250 years, provides 50 to 75 years of corrosion protection in many environments. Empirical data collected about hot-dip galvanized (HDG) steel field performance from 1940 to 1980—in environments ranging from industrial to marine to suburban—indicates that zinc can prevent base steel corrosion more than other surface treatments. Because of zinc's long-lasting protection, projects require no maintenance and therefore no maintenance costs.