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Hot dip galvanized zinc coated steel studs in a indoor swimming pool

I am a Project Manager with a large General Contractor. We are constructing a large hotel. The Architect has specified the requirement for "galvanized steel studs" as framing members for the walls around the indoor swimming pool/hot tub area as a measure to protect against rusting/corrosion.

Will standard hot dip galvanized zinc coated steel studs perform just as well or better than "galvanized" steel studs?

Gary Seehagen
General Contracting - Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
2005

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I stand ready to be corrected, but I think this is only a semantics issue, not a materials issue. "Galvanized" usually means hot-dipped in molten zinc. A galvanized steel stud should be a stud that has been hot dip galvanized in molten zinc. Calling the studs "hot dip galvanized zinc coated steel" merely eliminates any ambiguity about whether electrogalvanizing (zinc electroplating) is a suitable substitute; it probably isn't and your old spec helped make that clear, which is all to the good.

Including the words "hot dipped" and "zinc" may be slightly repetitive, but it's inexpensive insurance that you get the right thing.

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
2005

Just a thought. Most steel studs are manufactured out of pre-galvanized strip and roll formed afterward. Most will be a G-60 or G-90 coating. If they are calling for it to be manufactured in black material and then galvanized after roll forming, you will get a much heavier zinc coating than G-90. It would have to be hot dip galvanized as a stud and not in a coil form.

Mike Stroia
- Canton, Ohio, USA
2005