Steel = Built to Last
Galvanized Steel, Certified Materials
Steel has undergone extensive testing to verify long-term durability and better
estimate its life-span. On average, wood decks last roughly 10-15 years before needing
replacement. Due to the inherent characteristics of cold-formed steel, deck builders
who use steel framing can expect their investment to last many times that length
of time.
| Site Location |
Sample
Material |
Sample
Location |
Mass
Loss
(grams) |
Exposure
Duration
(months) |
Corrosion
Rate1
(μ/yr) |
Estimated Life
Expectancy2
(years) |
Hamilton
Ontario |
Galvanize 2 |
Attic |
0.013 |
98 |
0.0223 |
841 |
| Wall |
0.020 |
98 |
0.0343 |
547 |
| Galvalume |
Attic |
0.017 |
98 |
0.0555 |
554 |
| Wall |
0.020 |
98 |
0.0653 |
471 |
| Galfan |
Attic |
0.013 |
98 |
0.0238 |
1294 |
| Wall |
0.020 |
98 |
0.0366 |
841 |
Miami
Florida |
Galvanize 2 |
Attic |
0.017 |
99 |
0.0289 |
650 |
| Galvalume |
0.013 |
99 |
0.0420 |
732 |
| Galfan |
0.033 |
99 |
0.0597 |
515 |
Long Beach
Island
New Jersey |
Galvanize 1 |
Wall |
0.013 |
87 |
0.0251 |
747 |
| Floor |
0.020 |
87 |
0.0386 |
485 |
| Under Deck |
0.030 |
87 |
0.0580 |
324 |
| Galvalume |
Wall |
0.013 |
87 |
0.0478 |
643 |
| Floor |
0.027 |
87 |
0.0993 |
310 |
| Under Deck |
0.023 |
87 |
0.0846 |
363 |
| Galfan |
Wall |
0.013 |
87 |
0.0268 |
1149 |
| Floor |
0.040 |
87 |
0.0823 |
373 |
| Under Deck |
0.027 |
87 |
0.0556 |
553 |
Leonardtown
Maryland |
Galvanize 2 |
Attic |
0.017 |
93 |
0.0307 |
610 |
| Wall |
0.020 |
93 |
0.0361 |
519 |
| Crawl /Open |
0.037 |
93 |
0.0669 |
280 |
| Galvalume |
Attic |
0.017 |
98 |
0.0555 |
554 |
| Crawl /Open |
0.030 |
98 |
0.0980 |
314 |
| Galfan |
Attic |
0.017 |
98 |
0.0311 |
990 |
| Wall |
0.033 |
98 |
0.0603 |
510 |
| Crawl /Open |
0.023 |
98 |
0.0420 |
732 |
Products used for SteelSmart™ Deck assemblies are manufactured from mill-certified
steel and coated with G-90 hot-dipped galvanized coating, exceeding industry standards.
This represents a minimum total coating thickness of 39 microns for both sides of
the steel sheet and makes this material closely equivalent to Galfan material in
the ILRZO study. This coating level is 2.25 times the minimum ASTM coating level
for drywall stud and track products and 1.5 times the minimum ASTM coating level
for structural stud and track products.
Material Composition: ASTM A1003/A1003M or ASTM A653/A653M, Grade 50 (340), 50ksi
(340MPa) minimum yield strength, G-90 (Z275) hot-dipped galvanized coating (or equivalent).
In-depth information about long-term durability of steel framing components:
http://www.galvinfo.com/ginotes/GalvInfoNote_1_7.pdf
NAHB CFSF Durability Report.pdf
FEMA Report: http://www.fema.gov/pdf/fima/corr.pdf