Decking

Corrosion of decking systems is often the weakest link in U.S. infrastructure. For many years, researchers and inspectors have determined the deterioration of decking systems caused by corrosion of reinforcing bars hidden within to be a major concern. The specification of galvanized reinforcement combats concerns over concrete spalling in bridge decks and requires lower maintenance in comparison to bare steel or epoxy-coated reinforcement. Hot-dip galvanizing also has an established history of durability and abrasion resistance for other types of decking systems such as steel grating.

Galvanized reinforcement has a higher threshold for corrosion initiation (chloride threshold is 2-4 times that of bare steel), reduced corrosion kinetics, and can prevent concrete spalling as zinc corrosion products disperse into the concrete matrix. These benefits make decking systems with galvanized reinforcement particularly suitable for achieving 100-year performance even when exposed to marine environments or de-icing salts. Galvanized rebar can be treated in the same manner as uncoated rebar and does not require special handling precautions to protect the coating during handling, transport to, and placement at, the job site. Further, the bond strength of galvanized rebar to concrete is equal to or better than that of an uncoated bar. This allows the same reinforced concrete design specifications (bar size, lap lengths, etc.) to be used for galvanized rebar as bare rebar.