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Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Pine Beach, NJ

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Definition of Shop Galvanize

Q. I have a dispute whereas a specification stated the wording "galvanize" only. Customer states whereas their expectation is hot-dip galvanize or as they call it "shop galvanize".
We precluded (perhaps ignorantly) that a zinc or zinc galvanize finish applied application would be sufficient to provide the intent of an anti corrosive application.
Any comments or further clarifications with supporting specification/definition resources, etc. that could be stated?

John Scolaro
- Tampa, Florida, USA
April 15, 2012

A. Hi, John. The real problem here, and it happens so frequently that it's ridiculous, is that a service was ordered with no specifications, and a service was provided with no specifications.

To me, "galvanize" means "hot dip galvanize" ... but that's just me. Nail and screw manufacturers, probably in wanting to provide cheap stuff at premium prices, seem to have started labeling zinc electroplated hardware "galvanized".

The term "shop galvanize" would seem to imply a post-fabrication finish rather than the use of prefinished sheet metal, but even if we accept that, it still leaves the problem that if galvanizing doesn't mean hot dip galvanizing, shop galvanizing wouldn't either.

Unfortunately, there is simply no answer to your question.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
April 20, 2012

A. Definitions might be different in the Uk from USA (two countries separated by a common language as they say), but the term "galvanize" here means hot dip galvanize. Occasionally some people claim to "cold galvanize", by which they mean paint with a zinc rich paint, but then term is usually attacked strenuously by the galvanizing industry as being misleading.
Electroplated zinc is only ever referred to as "galvanizing" in ignorance, usually calling it "electrogalvanizing", but that term isn't used by electroplaters or galvanizers.

Here if a specification was for hot dip galvanizing, it might often only use the work "galvanize", but the meaning would be very clear. Better written specifications quote a standard (such as ISO 1461) to remove any doubt.

Geoff Crowley
Crithwood Ltd.
Westfield, Scotland, UK

April 20, 2012

A. As Ted says, a term like "shop galvanize" has no meaning unless and until it is defined by some sort of specification covering method, thickness and inspection requirements.

"Shop galvanize" might mean something to the person who wrote it, but it means nothing to anyone else.

Jeffrey Holmes, CEF
Spartanburg, South Carolina

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