The 2004 Eskom Industrelek Hot Dip Galvanizing Awards

The Hot Dip Galvanizers Association Southern Africa hosted the Eskom Hot Dip Galvanizing Awards Evening on Friday the 20th August 2004 at Caesars Gauteng. Sponsored by Eskom since it's inception in 2000, this evening was attended by the members of the Association, their guests and VIP Guests and VIP Guests invited by the Hot Dip Galvanizers Association. Wolfgang Riebe, corporate illusionist was the Master of Ceremonies and Brain Harvard provided musical entertainment.

The objective of the hot dip galvanizing awards is to develop and extend the market for hot dip galvanized steel; to recognise innovative value added services provided to customers and end-users by the hot dip galvanizing industry, resulting in a positive market growth; and to encourage creativity and innovative use of hot dip galvanizing for the corrosion protection of steel.

Categories

Innovation includes work performed that is of an innovative nature relating to the galvanizing process and procedures used, the design to accommodate the process, applications that expand the market and installations that had to take hot dip galvanized coatings or duplex systems into account. This category includes innovative productions and applications even if the hot dip galvanizing is of a rather ordinary nature.

Value Adding recognises the inherent value that hot dip galvanizing has brought to a specific project, comparing other materials and systems that were available for use as the corrosion protection design.

Empowerment recognises circumstances (not necessarily applications) in which special training had to be given to staff of galvanizers or to the operating staff of users. This category will also be used to recognise galvanizing companies that have especially empowered their staff to tackle new applications and shall also consider and include black economic empowerment initiatives in the industry. Mutually beneficial partnership arrangements shall also be considered.

Research and Development recognises research and development work carried out by galvanizers, universities, technikons, professional institutions and end users, where a significant contribution has been made to expand the knowledge of the hot dip galvanizing process, the characteristics of the zinc coating or the application of the coating.

Sustainable Performance recognises the successful use of hot dip galvanizing in applications that are 10 years or older.

Prominent Projects recognises important or highly visible projects, e.g. Athlone Stadium. This category will recognise durable architectural features.

26 Submissions were received this year with all the categories being represented. According to Mr. Bob Wilmot, Executive Director of the Association, this is an extremely encouraging sign. Even more encouraging is the fact that the Association received 4 entries that were not submitted by member galvanizers. It is the objective of the Association to increase this figure in the future. The submissions were assessed for their degree of excellence with consideration given to specific aspects which qualify them for inclusion in one or more of the categories. Members of the judging panel were: Dr Hennie de Clercq, Executive Director of the South African Institute of Steel Construction, Dr Willem van Niekerk, General Manager of Zincor Ltd, Bob Andrew, Honourary Life Member of the Association, Professor Hans Wegelin, Associate Professor of the Pretoria University and Andrew Barker of Andrew Barker Development Consultant.

The winners of the 2004 Eskom Hot Dip Galvanizing Awards are as follows (listed according to categories):

Innovation

Winner - Alcatraz Security Systems

Galvanizer - Morhot Galvanizers

Due to the extremely competitive nature of the fabrication and erection of palisade fencing, Alcatraz Security Systems improved on the existing system, particularly the installation methods currently being used and examined the smaller items to improve on quality. Traditionally, most fastener stockist's keep electro-plated fasteners, which if not correctly specified may be used instead of hot dip galvanized equivalents. Alcatraz developed their own fastening device, which was already hot dip galvanized to be kept as a stock item. The fastening device comprises a hot dip galvanized 12mm round pin, which fits tightly into a 15mm square tube after galvanizing. This device saves the cost of both bolt and flat bar. A washer welded into the center of the pin makes it impossible to remove after installation, thereby increasing security.

The next improvement was the fixing method of palings to rails by using hot dip galvanized 8mm cup square bolts and anti-vandal shear nuts. Previously only electroplated fixing components were available, and in coastal areas premature corrosion of these components has already occurred by the time the erection crews move offsite. On high security installations Alcatraz put a drop of lock tight on the thread of the cup square bolt, making it virtually impossible to remove a pale once installed.

Another improvement was the development of a simple bracket. This reduces damage and speeds up the installation process when attaching electric fencing and overhead razor wire to palisade fencing. This bracket is made out of 2 pieces of angle iron that slide over the IPE post.

Value Adding

Winner - Tricom

Galvanizer - Phoenix Galvanizing

The hot dip galvanizing of mild steel angular lattice structures for the telecommunications industry, which were primed and painted for M-Cell in Mozambique. Tricom is one of the largest telecommunications infrastructure manufacturing companies in South Africa and has a structure for most applications within the wireless telecom spectrum with most of their steel being exported into Africa. Towers are available in light, medium and heavy applications up to heights of 150-meter assembly configurations. All towers may be hand rigged and no cranes are required. This is an important feature considering installations in remote terrain where crane costs may be expensive or hard to obtain. Due to the tight deadline of the project, management at Phoenix decided to assist with part of the duplex coating after the steel had been hot dip galvanized, thus adding value to Tricom. Phoenix created a dedicated area to prevent over-spray contamination. Specialised stands had to be engineered to set steel for painting and 15 dedicated staff members employed and trained. The services to Tricom include the transportation of goods from Pretoria, hot dip galvanizing and fettling of steel, washing down of hot dip galvanized steel with GalvPrep, rinsing steel with high-pressure cleaner, spray painting of primer, packaging and dispatch and transport to Pretoria.

Empowerment

Winner - Phoenix Galvanizing

Many of their value added services offered to clients have created more employment. Various training exercises are conducted on a regular basis in accordance with regulatory requirements, with a composite training register being maintained. In addition to this conferences and seminars are attended and publications are constantly reviewed and analysed. In their commitment in the promotion and understanding of the hot dip galvanizing process, Phoenix have trained their clients by means of Plant Tours. SABS ISO 9001:2000 Quality Management System and SABS ISO 1461:1999 accreditation. Currently engaged in the implementation of OHSAS 18001 and ISO 14001:1997 Environmental Management System. Phoenix is an industry leader in Black Empowerment Initiatives (BEE Initiatives).

Research and Development

Winner - Galvastop (Orlik)

Simply put this is a rapidly air-drying blend of synthetic resins specifically formulated for the Hot Dip Galvanizing Industry as a suitable and convenient stop off material. Orlik Speciality Chemicals operates in the manufacture and supply of metal-finishing technologies. As a company, Orlik has endeavoured to sustain the latest technologies and developments. In 1999 they were approached to develop a product specifically for the hot dip galvanizing industry, namely a mask off agent, with the end-user being able to pre-apply this product, with the product being resistant enough to go through the entire hot dip galvanizing process. Galvastop is fairly easy to apply and needs to be allowed to dry for approximately 2 hours before processing the components. After the process is completed the chared residue that is left is easily removed with a wire brush. Galvastop has become popular in South Africa and overseas, with exporting to America, Taiwan, Australia, Egypt, Kenya and France. The process has saved a tremendous amount of re grinding and stripping. Fields of application for Galvastop are the Oil Pipelines in Saudi Arabia, Automotive Industry (Delta Motor Vehicles0, U-Haul Vans, Oil Rigs in Nigeria and North Sea, Tractor Manufacturers in USA and the heavy artillery industry

Prominent Projects

Winner - New Terminal at Port Elizabeth Airport

Galvanizer - Galvanising Techniques

This project consists of a covered walkway which provides safe and sheltered access between the terminal buildings and the aircraft. The walkway acts as a visual and actual link between the original departure building and the new arrivals terminal. It was important that the walkway should not obstruct any views out from the terminals and the arched roof covering of cranked aluminium sheeting is carried on a graceful and slender support system of hot dip galvanized posts and purlins. Passengers are separated and directed by an innovative system of hot dip galvanized handrails with gates, which provide flexible, but controlled access routes. The design stability of the structure was provided by the moment bases which were fabricated out of a 300-diameter 20mm thick base plate in which a 130 diameter circular hole was formed to receive the 127-diameter circular hollow section column. This large hole at the base of the column plus optimally sized holes in the column cap plates simultaneously facilitated ideal fill, drainage and vent holes respectively, for the free flow of molten zinc. The edges of the hole were chamfered to obtain the maximum size fillet welds so that the plate formed a collar around the column base. The motivation was to achieve the maximum moment capacity at the base, in order to omit vertical cross bracing to achieve the clean straight lines and to avoid any obstruction with pedestrian movement.

All sections were designed around a 5m module and site bolted. The entire walkway was surveyed and each column was cut to length prior to hot dip galvanizing, to accommodate the variations of the walkway levels, but to maintain the rafters and horizontal struts all at one level. No site welding and hence no coating repairs were required after erection of the structure. The main frame comprised 127 diameter tubular sections and the purlins rectangular hollow sections for aesthetic reasons. A further consideration of the square tube purlin section was to potentially eliminate any possible water condensation accumulation even though the inside of the purlin was hot dip galvanized. The ends of the purlins were left open. All bolt connections were designed in conjunction with the architect to achieve a double shear type connector which is architecturally pleasing, with a lesser industrial appearance.

Sustainable Performance

Winner - Storms River Bridge

Galvanizer - Cape Galvanising (Pty) Ltd

Eighteen years after the rehabilitation and widening of the bridge, the hot dip galvanized balustrades; stanchions, support girders and walkways on the Storms River Bridge are still in immaculate condition and show no signs of deterioration. Situated within 5 kilometers from the sea the original specification called for a zinc coating thickness of 140µM as the engineers required an extra long lifetime from the galvanized coating and called for a zinc coating thickness specified in BS 5493. This was achieved by shot-blasting all the steelwork prior to hot dip galvanizing.

The bridge aesthetically is still one of the most beautiful in South Africa and was designed by Dr Ricordo Morandi of Italy and constructed in 1956. It was widened and strengthened in 1986 by increasing the overall width of the deck to 11.45 meters from 8.18 meters by using steel box girders to support the widened concrete slabs of the cantilever. The arch itself was strengthened by the addition of externally bonded steel plates at the crown. The walkways and balustrades were installed at this time.

Indications are that the client can expect another 50 years life from the balustrades and 35 years from the chequer plate walkways due to extra wear from pedestrians. A duplex system can be applied at a later date to extend the lifetime further should this be required. Coating thickness readings are as follows: a mean for the handrails of 176µM, a mean for the stanchions of 201µM and a mean for the plates of 152µM.

Walter Barnett Trophy (Overall Winner of the 2004 Eskom Hot Dip Galvanizing Awards)

Winner - uShaka Marine Park

Galvanizer - Phoenix Galvanizing (Pty) Ltd

More than R753 million was spent to create this park. The centrepiece of the spectacular 17-hectare uShaka Marine World Theme park is the phantom ship. The ship was built of 320 tons of hot dip galvanized structural steel, with the main supporting structure being of heavy beam and column construction weighing 150 tons. The 80m long “rusting” 1930 merchant marine ship, supposedly wrecked on the reef soon after it was launched, was built on site. A special paint and cladding technique was used to create the illusion of natural marine weathering. The phantom ship houses restaurants, a food court and the Captain’s bar from which one can enjoy spectacular views of the Durban beachfront. The ship also serves as an entrance to the underground aquarium which boasts exhibits of over 200 species of marine life and the largest collection of sharks in the southern hemisphere. The emphasis on this venture was black economic empowerment.

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