Behavior of hot-dip zinc-aluminum coated steel under elevated temperature in case of fire
Journal of Structural Fire Engineering
ISSN: 2040-2317
Article publication date: 13 April 2022
Issue publication date: 15 February 2023
Abstract
Purpose
Based on the advantages of conventional hot-dip galvanizing made from quasi-pure zinc melts in the event of fire, this article aims to perform a series of tests to verify whether a similar effect can be achieved with zinc-aluminum coatings.
Design/methodology/approach
The emissivity of galvanized surfaces, which were applied to steel specimens by the batch hot-dip galvanizing process, was experimentally determined under continuously increasing temperature load. In addition to a quasi-pure zinc melt serving as a reference, a zinc melt alloyed with 500 ppm aluminum and thin-film galvanized with a melt of zinc and 5% aluminum were used. For the latter, variants of post-treatment measures in terms of a passivation and sealing of the galvanizing were also investigated.
Findings
The results show that lower emissivity can be achieved at higher temperatures by adding aluminum to the zinc melt and thereby into the zinc coating. The design values required for the structural fire design were proposed, and an exemplary calculation of the temperature development in the case of fire was carried out based on the values. The result of this calculation indicates that the savings potential becomes apparent, when using zinc-aluminum coatings.
Originality/value
The presented novel tests describe the behavior of zinc-aluminum coatings under the influence of elevated temperatures and their positive effect on the emissivity of steel components galvanized by this method. The results provide valuable insights and information on the performance in the event of fire and the associated potential savings for steel construction.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
Declaration: We declared that there is no conflict of interest in the research.
Citation
Pinger, T., Mensinger, M. and Firan, M.-M. (2023), "Behavior of hot-dip zinc-aluminum coated steel under elevated temperature in case of fire", Journal of Structural Fire Engineering, Vol. 14 No. 1, pp. 114-127. https://doi.org/10.1108/JSFE-02-2022-0005
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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