Based on its maintenance-free durability for 75 years or more in most environments, hot-dip galvanized (HDG) steel has a lower economic cost and environmental impact than paint. It uses a healthy, abundant, and recyclable metal, zinc, to provide corrosion protection, therefore it should be considered the preferred construction material for architectural and industrial applications.

To measure the sustainability of hot-dip galvanized steel and provide a basis for future improvements in life-cycle performance of zinc products, the Institute for Environmental Protection Technology at the Technical University of Berlin, conducted life-cycle assessments (LCA) comparing a hot-dip galvanized parking structure to a painted parking structure.

Developed in 2009 as part of a Talking Points series to educate legislators and the general public about hot-dip galvanized steel, this one-page case study compares the life-cycle of a hot-dip galvanized parking garage to the life-cycle of a painted steel garage.