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Structural steel repair

Structural steel repair

Structural steel repair

(OP)
I am involved with billboard renovation project. The owner wants to reuse the exisitng steel columns. But they are a bit rusted. I'd like to know if there is any place where I can send those columns to where they can be scraped off the rust and prepped appropriately and make it like new and re galvanize it. Is there such a service given by fabricators? Has anybody tried this approach instead of specifying new steel?

RE: Structural steel repair

Depending on the assembly, it can be sand/shot blasted and HDG... it's a matter of size of the components.

Dik

RE: Structural steel repair

how rusted are they. are you able to visit the site, scrape all the rust off of a few locations and measure the actual beam dimensions with calipers? that's what we usually do if we're going to re-use a member. then we have it sand blasted as dik said.

RE: Structural steel repair

I agree with Dik & Jerehmy concerning the reuse. However, you should contact a galvanizer about performing the surface prep. Fabricators typically don't do this type of work.

RE: Structural steel repair

It can be done, the real question is whether it's worthwhile.
"A bit rusted" could be highly variable in meaning.
Check with local galvanizers and see how big of a section they can handle, that'll let you know how you need to disassemble it.
They can also do the surface prep.
If it's old and painted, check for lead-based paint.

RE: Structural steel repair

Also be sure to consider fatigue in the steel. Many billboard structures are subject to continuous repetition in wind loading which
can fatigue steel and steel weld joints.

RE: Structural steel repair

You might want to consider metalizing in lieu of disassembling & HDG.

RE: Structural steel repair

Seems like a lot effort to re-use a column, especially if you're talking about removing it to dip into a tank.

What about galvalloy? I thought there are ways to "paint" a galvanizing finish to the existing element without removal. But usually this is for touch-up because of field welding, not the whole shape.


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