Hot-dip galvanized steel (HDG) has a low environmental cost. It requires no maintenance during the practical service life of most structures, i.e. 75 years or more. This means no transportation of labor to the repair site, no energy, no emissions such as sand from blasting or paint dust during removal, and no materials are needed after the initial production and installation of the HDG steel.
Additionally, hot-dip galvanized steel is the most recycled material in the world with approximately 90% of steel and 80% of all available zinc recycled. The energy required to produce the recycled product is 30% less than required to produce virgin HDG steel.
Renown life-cycle assessment (LCA) practitioners studied HDG steel from cradle to grave, actually cradle to cradle since HDG steel is 100% recyclable, and determined the environmental impact to be extremely low. With this baseline understanding of the industry’s impact today, we are committed to improving in the future. Learn more about HDG’s life-cycle assessment by downloading the Hot-Dip Galvanized Steel is Green publication.
Two case studies were also performed comparing hot-dip galvanized steel to painted steel in life-cycle assessment. To learn more download case study 1 and case study 2 .
