I'm reading through stacks of specs for a project we're bidding and in the galvanizing spec one of the many lines says that ASTM A143 shall govern. That's a standard for safeguarding against embrittlement of hot-dip galvanized steel. "No biggy", I think and keep reading. I even bounced the client's galvanizing spec off a galvanizer and he said everything looked copasetic. I went back today and read through ASTM A143 more closely. It has testing requirements to make sure your parts haven't been embrittled. Our parts that get galvanized would be handrail, ladders, and platforms. In over thirty years I'm not aware of ever having any galvanized parts bent to see if they crack. I don't know if it's a case of 1) just never having anyone spec A143 before or 2) I'm just not aware that it took place or 3) it has been spec'd on other jobs but no one paid any attention to the testing part.
I don't think it's number 2 because surely I would have heard about it if someone said, "Hey, we need an extra piece of angle so we can bend it to be sure it doesn't crack." What are others experience? Do you usually see A143 spec'd for ladders, handrail, platforms? If so, how do you handle the testing requirements? Thanks.
I don't think it's number 2 because surely I would have heard about it if someone said, "Hey, we need an extra piece of angle so we can bend it to be sure it doesn't crack." What are others experience? Do you usually see A143 spec'd for ladders, handrail, platforms? If so, how do you handle the testing requirements? Thanks.
