This blog was originally posted on 7/20/17 and rewritten on 3/6/24.

The company is the world’s best galvanized coil price supplier. We are your one-stop shop for all needs. Our staff are highly-specialized and will help you find the product you need.

Whether constructing high-rise buildings, working in manufacturing facilities, unloading grains, or repairing railcars, fall protection systems are essential to ensure a safer working environment.

However, when these systems aren&#;t manufactured with high-grade materials, they can be vulnerable to nature&#;s elements and compromise worker safety. That&#;s why galvanized and stainless steel are the trusted solutions for fall protection structures. These rigid, dependable, and wear-resistant materials offer the best defense against nature and optimal employee safety.

What Are the Differences Between Stainless and Galvanized Steel?

Understanding the differences between stainless and galvanized steel can help you choose the best option for your needs.

1. Manufacturing

Manufacturers produce galvanized steel using a process called hot dipping. It includes coating and reinforcing standard steel by dipping it into molten zinc. This layer of zinc serves as a protectant from corrosion. Unlike galvanized steel, stainless steel is an alloy of iron, chromium, and other corrosion-resistant minerals. Manufacturers melt and combine raw or recycled material layers in an electric arc furnace to produce stainless steel.

2. Design

Stainless steel has a smooth and clean finish, offering greater surface appeal and uniformity over galvanized steel. Galvanized steel provides little uniformity compared to stainless steel and often has a rough surface and texture. It can vary in color, like light and dark grays, and have matte finishes and spangled patterns.

3. Applications

Galvanized and stainless steel are popular choices for various industry applications. Industries like agriculture and construction use galvanized steel for multiple applications like building development, fencing land, and fall protection. Because of stainless steel&#;s polished finishes, it can be a popular choice for applications in industries like culinary and pharmaceutical, energy production, and gas processing.

4. Corrosion Resistance

Galvanized steel&#;s protective zinc layer reinforces the carbon steel, helping it repel rust from moisture, salt water, and acid in marine environments. While galvanized steel can withstand wear, the protective layer to protect the base material can corrode and fade over time, requiring more maintenance and upkeep.

The composition of materials in stainless steel can make it resistant to rust. Combining these elements creates a film that protects the outer steel layer from the elements to prevent corrosion and minimize wear. Compared to galvanized steel, stainless variants can require less maintenance. 

5. Cost

Because stainless steel is made of a metal mixture that prevents corrosion, it can be more costly. Galvanized steel is a protective coating applied to carbon steel, which makes it more economical.

6. Strength

Suggested reading:
INCONEL 625 | Alloy 625 | Corrotherm International
What is the best material for a condenser tube?
How Does Galvanized Steel Sheet Function?
10 Tips: How to Save Money When Submitting a Bid ...
Metal food tins coating principle, process requirements and ...

For more information, please visit ar500 steel astm.

While galvanized and stainless steel are rigid and durable options, carbon steel is generally 40% stronger. Additional stainless steel components require more material to achieve the same strength as standard carbon steel.

FAQs About Stainless Steel vs. Galvanized Steel

Here are some answers to frequently asked questions about stainless steel and galvanized steel:

1. Is galvanized steel the same as stainless steel? Galvanized steel differs from stainless steel in various ways, including manufacturing, design, and material compositions. Galvanized steel is carbon steel coated with a protective zinc layer to withstand the elements, while stainless steel is made with numerous corrosion-resistant alloys, including chromium and iron.
2. Should you use stainless steel or galvanized steel for outdoor applications? Stainless and galvanized steel can be excellent choices for outdoor use. Stainless variants can withstand wear from nature for many years, and galvanized steel&#;s protectant layer makes it the best option over untreated carbon steel for outdoor worksites.
3. Will galvanized or stainless steel rust? While galvanized steel can be rust-resistant, the protective zinc layer can wear over time with exposure to corrosive materials, requiring more maintenance. Stainless steel consists of a film-like barrier to repel corrosion and rust and maintain its surface appearance.

Quality Stainless and Galvanized Steel Fall Protection Systems

When it comes to fall protection, the most critical factor is safety. Whether you use stainless or galvanized steel systems, both options are durable, rigid, and corrosion-resistant to enhance fall protection and worker safety. 

Our fall arrest systems are engineered and tested for OSHA requirements and other safety protocols. Whether for indoor or outdoor use, these systems can help ensure a safer work environment. Fill out an online form today to get started with Rigid Lifelines.

Home » Hot-Dip Galvanizing (HDG) » What is the Cost of Galvanized Steel?

What is the Cost of Galvanized Steel?

Many specifiers have the perception hot-dip galvanized steel is cost prohibitive on an initial cost basis in comparison to other forms of corrosion protection.  This likely stems from a number of things including the fact galvanizing is viewed as a Cadillac system because of its maintenance-free longevity.  However, due to the relatively stable price of zinc and technology /process efficiencies in the last 20 years, hot-dip galvanizing has steadily become more competitive, and often less expensive, on an initial basis than other corrosion protection systems.

Many other corrosion protection systems, such as paint and powder coatings, have seen cost increases of 100% or more in the past five years.  And to add salt to the wound, these other protective systems require maintenance on a more frequent basis, increasing the life-cycle costs.  Direct maintenance costs for any project are typically 2-5 times the initial cost, and the indirect costs are even worse 5-11 times the direct cost of repair.

Because of the escalating cost of other coating systems and the astronomical costs of maintenance, more specifiers have begun to consider life-cycle costs when selecting their building materials.  Life-cycle cost (LCC) is a more complete analysis because it considers the total cost over the life of the project (initial + maintenance).  Because hot-dip galvanized steel requires no maintenance for 70 years or more in most environments, often the initial cost is the life-cycle cost meaning hot-dip galvanized steel is 2-6 times more economical over the expected life of a project making it a sustainable choice for today and tomorrow. 

Therefore, when specifiers are selecting materials for a given project, it is paramount to consider more than just the initial cost of a protection system. Taking into account the overall service life, expected time to first maintenance, and corresponding economics related to the initial and continued upkeep provides a more accurate prediction of the projects impact on future generations. 

Projects are complex and comprised of different steel sizes and quantities.  Furthermore, location, as well as differently sized kettles, equipment, and other efficiencies within galvanizing plants all affect the cost structure of galvanized steel.  For this reason, your local galvanizer is best suited to assist you with pricing for your specific project.

However, if you are interested in getting an idea of the cost differences initially and over the life cycle of hot-dip galvanized steel and other coating systems, the American Galvanizers Association (AGA) has developed an online Life-Cycle Cost Calculator (LCCC).  The LCCC automates the calculation found in the specification ASTM A and allows you to compare the initial and life-cycle cost of hot-dip galvanizing to 30+ other corrosion protection systems. The Life-Cycle Cost Calculator uses data from a KTA Tator, Inc. survey of paint manufacturers as reported in NACE Paper No C- Expected Service Life and Cost Considerations for Maintenance and New Construction Protective Coating Work () and a nationwide survey of AGA members.

To use the calculator, you input the specific parameters of your project (real or hypothetical) in three quick screens, and then the LCCC will provide a customized, printable comparison of initial and life-cycle costs of galvanizing to your selected corrosion protection system. Alternatively, you can compare a duplex system (hot-dip galvanizing and paint) to paint systems.  Duplex systems require a lot of initial investment, as you are paying for both coatings up front.  However, when evaluated on a life-cycle basis, duplex systems provide huge economic savings because they require less maintenance throughout the life of a project than painted black steel.

Launch the Galvanizing Cost Calculator

Want more information on abrasion resistant steel properties? Feel free to contact us.