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SlipPerformanceofGalvanizedPlates
2014AnnualRCSCMeeting
June6,2014

GraduateResearchAssistant:SeanDonahue
Supervisors:ToddHelwig,JosephYura

ProjectSponsor:AmericanInstituteofSteelConstruction,
ResearchCouncilonStructuralConnections

PresentationOutline
BackgroundInformation
BriefHistoryofChangesinSlipCoefficientProvisions
ParametersAffectingSlipPerformanceofGalvanized
Connections
DevelopmentofTestProgram
ResultsofSlipTestsonGalvanizedConnections
OutlineofStudyonEffectofZincCreeponBolt
PretensionForce

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Background
Hotdipgalvanizingisaneconomicalanddurablecorrosion
protectionsystem.
Whilemethodsforapplyingzinccoatingstoirondatebackto
the1700and1800s,thebehaviorofmodernizedgalvanized
connectionshavegenerallynotbeenthoroughlystudied.
Morespecifically,limiteddataisavailableontheproperslip
coefficientthatshouldbeused.

BriefHistoryofSlip
CoefficientsinRCSCand
AISC

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Background SlipCoefficients
AISC1962,1969andRCSC1962,1966,1974 Nodistinction
amongvarioussurfacesforslipcritical(friction)connections.
SC=0.35 basedonmillscale.

AISC1978,RCSC1978 Therewerenine differentclasses,A

thruI,dependingonsteeltypeandsurfacetreatmentand
coating.MillscalewasClassAwithSC=0.33,blastcleaned
carbonlowalloysteel,ClassB,withSC=0.49.Hotdipped
galvanizedandroughenedwasClassDwithSC=0.40.

Background SlipCoefficients
AISC1st Ed.LRFD,RCSC1985 UTresearchshowedthat
genericpaintscouldnotbelumpedintospecific
categoriesasdoneinthe1978Specifications.The
Specificationcommitteesestablishedthreegeneral
classes:
ClassA:millScale(SC=0.33)
ClassB:blasted(SC=0.50)
ClassC:hotdippedgalvanizedandRoughened
(SC=0.40).
Paintscouldfallintoanyofthesecategories.The
specificSCofthepaintcouldbedeterminedbasedon
theAppendixAtestmethod.

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Background SlipCoefficients
AISCASD1989 AdoptedClassesA,BandCasinthe1985
LRFDandRCSCSpecifications.

AISCLRFD2nd Ed(1993)andRCSC1988 Nochangefrom

1985/1989.

RCSC1994 TheSCforClassC,hotdippedgalvanizedand
roughened,wasreducedfrom0.40to0.35basedonthedata
inthe2nd EdoftheGuide(Kulaketal,1987).Theothertwo
classeswereunchanged.

Background SlipCoefficients
AISCLRFD3rd Ed(2000),RCSC2000 AISCchangedClassCto
SC=0.35tobeconsistentwithRCSC.
RCSC2004,RCSC2009(themostrecent) Nochange.
2005combinedLRFDandASD(13th EdManual) Simplified
theclassesbycombiningformerClassesAandCtojustClass
A,millscaleandroughenedhotdippedgalvanized,withSC=
0.35.
2010combinedLRFDandASD ChangedtheClassAslip
coefficientfrom0.35to0.30basedonthelatestGrondin data
baseformillscaleslipcoefficients.SotheSCforhotdipped
galvanizedandroughenedhasbeenalsoreducedto0.30.

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EarlyTestsonSlip
CoefficientsforGalvanized
Steel

Background EarlyTests(<1977)
AsGalvanized unroughened
Currentprovisionsforslipperformanceofgalvanized
specimensarebasedonlimiteddatathatisnot
reflectiveofcurrentgalvanizingprocesses.

Grondin,GilbertYves,MingJin,andGeorgJosi. SlipCriticalBoltedConnections:AReliabilityAnalysisforDesignatthe
UltimateLimitState.DepartmentofCivil&EnvironmentalEngineering,UniversityofAlberta,2007.

DiscussionwithBirkemoe Lowvalueslikelyduetoparaffin
oiladdedinquenchingtogiveshinysurface.
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Background SurfaceRoughening
Earlytestsdoneongalvanizedplatesshowedroughening
improvedtheslipperformance.

Kulak,G.L.,J.W.Fisher,andJ.H.Struik."Guidetodesigncriteriaforboltedandrivetedjoints,1987. American
InstituteofSteelConstruction,Chicago,Il. 11

Background SurfaceRoughening
Thistrendisbasedonalimitednumberoftests,and
maynotberepresentativeoftypicalperformance.
Thenecessaryrougheningrequiredtorecognizea
benefitisnotexplicitlyspecified.
Sandblastingorshotblastingcanproducea
prescribedroughness,buttheprocessisexpensive
andrarelyused.
Wirebrushingismuchmorecommon,butitis
difficulttoachieveaspecifiedroughness.

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Background SurfaceRoughening
CurrentRCSCspecificationsrequirerougheningofany
galvanizedsurfaceusedinslipcriticalconnections,butthe
rougheningprocessisimprecise.

Roughenedgalvanizedsurfacesarecurrentlyassignedaslip
coefficientof0.35intheRCSCspecification,butaregrouped
withcleanmillscaleintheAISCprovisionsandhaveaslip
coefficientof0.3.
ResearchCouncilonStructuralConnections.SpecificationforStructuralJointsUsingASTMA325orA490
13
Bolts,2009. AmericanInstituteofSteelConstruction,Chicago,Il.

Background ModernGalvanizing
ComparedwithProcesses3040YearsAgo
Currentgalvanizingpracticesaremorecontrolledand
canproduceimprovedconsistencyincoatings.
Modernzincbathsfeatureincreaseduseofalloying
metalstoimproveadhesionofzinc,controlof
coatingswithreactivesteels,andimproveaesthetic
appearanceofthecoatings.
Theeffectofthesechangesonslipperformanceof
galvanizedpieceshasundergonelittleinvestigation.

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ObjectivesandVariables
ConsideredinCurrent
Study

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ResearchObjectives
Projectaimstoincreasetheexperimentaldatabase
ofslipperformanceofmoderngalvanizedpieces.
Determinetheslipstrengthofuntreatedgalvanizedpieces
Investigatetheeffectofdifferentgalvanizers,steel
chemistryandothervariablesontheslipbehaviorof
galvanizedplates
Evaluatetheeffectivenessofrougheninggalvanized
surfaces,and,ifneeded,recommendamoreprecise
procedureforroughening
Examinetheeffectofzinccreeponthelossof
preloadinfullytightenedbolts
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VariablesInvestigated
1) CoatingThickness
2) SteelChemistry(2differentsteels)
3) PicklingAcid
4) VariationAmongGalvanizers
5) BathConsistency
6) SurfaceRoughening

Wewillfirstfocusonasgalvanizedbehaviorwithno
roughening
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1)ThicknessofZincCoating
Coatingthicknesshasbeenpreviouslyobservedtohavean
inverserelationshipwithslipcoefficient.

Galvanizedcoatingthicknessisdependentonmany
factors,includingtimeinzincbath,steelchemistry,andthe
sizeofthegalvanizedpiece.

Toimprovetheabilitytovarythecoatingthickness,a
reactiveheatofsteelwasordered.Reactivesteels
achievehighercoatingthicknesseswithincreased
immersiontimesinthemoltenzincbath.Baseduponthe
initialtestresults,anonreactivesteelwasaddedtothe
testprogram.

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1)ThicknessofZincCoating
Steelswithahighpercentageofsilicon(>0.22%)orhigh
percentagesofphosphorous(>0.04%)areconsidered
reactivesteels.
ASTMstandardsprohibitphosphorouslevelsabove
0.04%,butallowupto0.4%silicon.Mostmodernsteel
producedfallswellbelowthismaximum.
Aheatofsteelwith0.28%siliconcontentwaspurchased
foruseasthereactivesteel,andaheatofsteelwith
0.18%siliconcontentwasusedasapointofcomparison.

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1)ThicknessofZincCoating
Steelswithdifferentsiliconcontentwereselectedfor
theprimarypurposeofachievingvariationsinthe
coatingthickness.
Theresultswillprovideanindicationoftheimpactof
thecoatingthicknessontheslipperformanceaswell
asthelossofpretensionforceasafunctionofcreep
inthegalvanizing.

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2)SteelChemistry
Whilebothreactiveandnonreactivesteelswereusedto
enablecontrolofthecoatingthickness,thesteel
chemistrycanalsoresultinachangeofthephysical
structureofthecoating.

NonReactiveSteel ReactiveSteel

EtaLayer(100%Zinc,70 ZetaLayer(94%Zinc,6%Iron, DeltaLayer(90%Zinc,10%Iron,

DPNHardness) 179DPNHardness) 244DPNHardness)
http://www.galvanizeit.org/designingforhotdipgalvanizing/designfabrication/steelchemistrysurfacecondition

DPN DiamondPyramidHardness 21

3)PicklingAcid
Galvanizedpiecesmustbecleanedpriortodippinginthe
zincbath.
Thisisdonebyimmersioninapicklingbath,either
sulfuricacidorhydrochloricacid.
Sulfuricacidcanalsocorrodethebasemetalduringthis
pickling,resultinginapittedsurface,whichcould
producearougherzinccoating.

Pickled OverPickled

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Guan,etal.Effectofpicklingonplatingporosityandrelatedelectrochemicaltest,2012,SurfaceEngineering.Vol.28No. 6

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4)VariationAmongGalvanizers
Specificationsallowgalvanizerssignificantfreedomin
howthegalvanizingprocessiscarriedout.
Thealloyingmetalsplacedinthezincbathtocontrol
zinccoatingvariesamonggalvanizers.
Galvanizerscanaircoolmaterialafterdipping,or
waterquench(dippinginawaterbathorsprayed
withwater)
Toensurebreadthofdata,fourGalvanizerswereselected
(picklingacid:2sulferic and2hydrochloric).Theselected
galvanizersprovidedvariationinpicklingacids,bath
chemistries,andcoolingprocedures.
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5)BathConsistency
Inadditiontothealloysintentionallyaddedby
galvanizers,dippedpiecesoftendeposittrace
amountsofcomponentmetalsinthezincbath.
Zincisalsoconsumedbythegalvanizingprocessand
mustbereplacedregularly.
Therefore,bathchemistryofasinglegalvanizercan
varyovertime.
Toinvestigatetheeffectofthischange,each
galvanizerwasvisitedattwodatesseveralmonths
apart.
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PreparationofTestSpecimens
Drilling(Hirschfeld)andcuttingofplates(UTAustin)

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PreparationofTestSpecimens
GalvanizingofPlates

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PreparationofTestSpecimens
Localtouchupofgalvanizedplates

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TestSetupandProcedure
TestsconductedinaccordancewithRCSC App.A

SchematicofTestSetup
RCSCFigureA3(Recreated)forCompressionSlipTestSetup
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TestSetupandProcedure

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SlipTestResults

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InitialResults(Unroughened)
Comparedwithpreviousslipstudies,moderngalvanizing
producescoatingswithmuchhigherslipcoefficients.

Tabulatedslip
coefficientsrepresent
afivetestaverage

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ThicknessofZincCoating(Reactive
Steel)
Coatingthicknessofreactivesteelwasapproximately
linearlyrelatedtodiptime.Nonreactivesteelshowed
minimalthicknessvariation.(3.9milsisminimum
thickness)

Thegalvanizerswere
askedtodipthesteel
longenoughtoachieve
thestandardcoating
designatedatThinin
table

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ThicknessofZincCoating(Reactive
Steel)
Ingeneral,coatingthicknessdidnothavea
significantandconsistentimpactonthemeasured
slipcoefficient.

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SteelChemistry
Reactivesteelresultedinthicker,dull,zinccoatings.

ReactiveSteel NonReactiveSteel

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SteelChemistry
Thedifferentcoatingstructureproducedbyreactive
steelsledtohigherslipcoefficients.

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PicklingAcid
Theuseofasulfuricpicklingacidresultedinahigher
averageslipcoefficient,butthisislesssignificant
thanothervariationsbetweengalvanizers.

ReactiveSteel SimilartrendswithNonreactivesteel
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BathConsistency
Variationsinbathconsistencyovertimedidnothave
asignificanteffectonslipperformance.

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6)SurfaceRoughening WireBrush
Tolimitvariationsin
theachieved
rougheningduring
tests,aprescribed
rougheningprocess
wasused:
10lbappliedforce
6cyclesof2
strokes.

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6)SurfaceRoughening WireBrush
Galvanizedspecimenswerenotheavilyalteredby
wirebrushing;brushingseemedtopolishplates.

Unroughened Wirebrushed

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6)SurfaceRoughening WireBrush
Wirebrushinghadnosignificanteffectonslip
coefficientoftestedspecimens.

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6)SurfaceRoughening Sanding
Sandpaperisnotcurrentlyapprovedasaroughening
device,butsandpaperproducedmorevisible
rougheninginreactiveheatofsteel.

ReactiveUnroughened ReactiveSanded

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6)SurfaceRoughening Sanding
Sandpaperrougheninghadlesseffectonpurezinc
layerofnonreactivesteel,seemedtopolishsurface.

NonreactiveUnroughened NonreactiveSanded

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SurfaceRoughening Sanded
Despitevisibleroughening,sandpaperdidnot
increaseslipcoefficientofgalvanizedplates.
Sandpaperdidmakefailuremorebrittle.

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SummaryofTeststoDate Unroughened

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SummaryofTeststoDate
Modernunroughened galvanizedpieceshave
significantlyhigherslipcoefficientsthanhistorically
used.
Variationsincoatingthicknessdidnothavea
consistentorsignificantimpactonthemeasuredslip
resistance.
Reactivesteelsproduceddullgray,zincironsurface,
improvedslipperformancenoticeably.(avg.coeff.of
0.46vs0.31fornonreactivesteels).Itisnotthe
intentionoftheresearcherstoincludethiseffectin
slipcoefficientsrecommendedfordesign.

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SummaryofTeststoDate
Bathchemistryandgalvanizingprocesscanvarybetween
galvanizers,producesignificantlydifferentslip
coefficients,howeverallgalvanizersproduced
coefficientshigherthanhistoricallyassumed.
Changesinbathchemistryovertimehadlittleeffecton
theslipcoefficientofgalvanizedpieces.
Surfacerougheningdidnotimproveslipperformance.
Therougheningproceduresoftenreducedthemeasured
slipresistanceandshouldprobablythereforebe
removed.

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CompressionCreepof
GalvanizedCoatings

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CreepofGalvanizedConnections
Thezinccoatingofgalvanizedplateswillcreepunder
sustainedloading,potentiallyreducingtheclamping
forceinapretensionedconnection.
Themagnitudeofthislossofclampingforce,and
whatvariablesaffectthislosshavenotbeenwell
studied.
Testprogramwillexamineeffectofcreepin
hardware,effectofcoatingthickness,andeffectof
physicalstructureofcoating.

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CreepofGalvanizedConnections
TestMatrix:(BoltsprovidedbyLohr Fasteners)

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CreepofGalvanizedConnections
Gaged boltsareinstalledinconnectionsandaxialforceover
timeismonitoredtodeterminethelossinpreload.

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FutureWork
Secondtriptothefinaltwogalvanizerswillbetakento
completetestmatrix.Althoughtheproposalcalledfor
60100sliptests,theresearchteamwillhaveconducted
170totaltests.Thelastsetoftestswillallowthe
researcherstomakeconclusionson:
Picklingacid(sulferic versushydrocholoric)
Impactofsteelchemistry(reactiveversusnonreactive)
Significanceofchangeinbathchemistryovertime
Impactofsurfaceroughening(requirementforwirebrushing
shouldlikelyberemovedfromRCSCspecification).
Testeffectofcreeponboltpreload
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Acknowledgements

AISCandRCSCforprovidingfunding(TomSchlaflyhas
providedagreatdealofassistance)
Hirschfeld IndustriesandHaroldMaier
Lohr Fasteners KenLohr
AmericanGalvanizingAssociationandTomLangill
AZZGalvanizingandAlanKeenanandBernardoDuran
MaddenGalvanizingandDavidJaye
Sabre GalvanizingandCarmenBenfield
SouthwestGalvanizingandJoeZarate

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Thank You!

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TestSetupandProcedure

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TestSetupandProcedure

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