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Galvanizing Thickness Measurements
Galvanizing Thickness Measurements
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Galvanizing is the process by which a sacri cial anode layer of Concrete Moisture
zinc is applied to the surface of a fabricated steel part to Measurement
provide corrosion protection. The nal step in this process is
the inspection of: Remote Monitoring of
Environmental Conditions
Coating thickness
Visual appearance Duplex Coating System
Adhesion Thickness Measurement
Uniformity
The most practical test is the non-destructive method utilizing the magnetic principle
for determining coating thickness. This test is
Non-destructive
Simple, fast, and inexpensive
Complies with recognized international standards including ASTM D7091, CSA G 164-
M and ISO 2808
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Measure the strength required to pull a magnet away from steel. The thicker the zinc, the weaker the attractive
magnetic force.
No calibration adjustment required
Simple and rugged
Electronic Gages
measurement locations
±10% accuracy
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Mechanical/Dial Type
Electronic
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Measurement
Precautions:
When utilizing
a mechanical
gauge, perform the
following steps:
1. To compensate for the in uence of substrate conditions (including mass, metallurgy, roughness, temperature and
curvature), check zero on the uncoated substrate/part and adjust if necessary.
2. Check by measuring shims placed on the uncoated substrate.
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3. Measure the galvanized part. The gage reading indicates the thickness of the applied galvanizing.
DeFelsko’s PosiTector 6000 FNDS coating thickness gage non-destructively measures the individual thicknesses
of both the paint and the zinc galvanize layers in a duplex coating system with a single reading.
CONVERSIONS
Magnetic coating thickness gages report measurement values in units of linear distance, not coating weight.
However, the gage reading can easily be converted to an expression of coating weight.
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Example Conversions
Example A: Imagine you take a measurement on a steel coil
coated with zinc galvanize using a PosiTector 6000 F gage and
obtain a single-side thickness reading of “0.35 mils.” This can
be easily converted to oz/ft² using the following method:
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0.45 oz/ft² x 1.684 = 0.76 mils per side, or 0.45 oz/ft² x 42.78 = 19 microns per side
Example C: Tocalculate grams/meter² from a result displayed in microns, rst multiply the gage reading (or the
average of a series of readings) by a factor of 2, and then multiply that result by 7.133. The nal calculation will
indicate the coating weight for both sides of the coated part.
Q&A
Q: Why does it seem that I never obtain the same gage reading twice?
A: Although the galvanized surface may appear smooth, microscopic surface roughness exists on both the zinc
and steel. Therefore, the best representation of coating thickness is obtained by averaging a series of readings as
per ASTM A123.
Q: Can I use a magnetic coating thickness gage to measure coating weight?
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A: Magnetic coating thickness gages report measurement values in units of linear distance, not coating weight.
However, the gage reading can easily be converted to an expression of coating weight using a conversion table
or multiplication factor.
Q: What should a coating thickness gauge read on a G90 galvanized coating?
Therefore:
ASTM STANDARDS
Excerpts from ASTM A123 Standard Speci cation for Zinc (Hot-Dip Galvanized) Coatings on Iron and Steel
Products:
The specimen coating thickness shall be the average of a minimum of 5 readings at widely dispersed points.
This average value shall be not less than one coating thickness grade lower than the value listed in the appropriate
speci cation.
Thickness should be between 1.4 and 3.9 mils (35 and 100 µm) depending on the coating grade.
ASTM A123/A123M Standard Speci cation for Zinc (Hot-Dip Galvanized) Coatings on Iron and Steel Products
ASTM A153/A153M Standard Speci cation for Zinc Coating (Hot-Dip) on Iron and Steel Hardware
ASTM A653/A653M Standard Speci cation for Steel Sheet, Zinc-Coated (Galvanized) or Zinc-Iron Alloy-Coated
(Galvannealed) by the Hot-Dip Process
ASTM A767/A767M Standard Speci cation for Zinc-Coated (Galvanized) Steel Bars for Concrete Reinforcement
ASTM D7091 Standard Practice for Nondestructive Measurement of Dry Film Thickness of Nonmagnetic Coatings
Applied to Ferrous Metals and Nonmagnetic, Non-conductive Coatings Applied to Non- Ferrous Metals
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