Guide to Wire Rope
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- Structural Wire Rope Applications
- Computer-Assisted Design and Detailing
- High Strength Structural Strand
- Custom Finishes
- Pre-stretching
- Striping
- Measuring Wire Rope
- Corrosion Protection
- End Terminations
- Attaching Sockets
- Proof loading
- Order Specifications
- Wire Rope Selection
- Rotation-Resistant Ropes
- Specialized Wire Rope
- Wire Rope Handling and Installation
- Standard Operating Practices
- Wire Rope Inspection
- Technical Info & Specifications
Corrosion Protection
Galvanized (zinc-coated) wire is used in rope/strand to combat the corrosive environments of salt water, atmospheric contaminants, and humid and moist conditions. The combination of strand and wire rope physical properties structures, in some instances giving service lives exceeding 75 years.
Three different zinc coating weights are available to meet a wide range of corrosion resistance requirements. As the life of a zinc coating is proportional to its weight, a heavier coating can be chosen for areas of high corrosion, and a lighter coating chosen for less corrosive atmospheres.
The standard galvanizing is by the hot-dip method, and provides Class A ("double-galvanized") coating weight (thickness). Heavier coating weights (Class B and Class C) are available. These coatings are applied by electrolytic means only. Class B is twice the weight of Class A coating; Class C is three times the weight of Class A. All coatings conform to the appropriate ASTM Specification. Refer to ASTM specifications A586 and A603 for minimum coating weights.
Zinc, by its nature, protects the base steel wire from corrosion by sacrificial ion exchange. Even minor flaws in the zinc coating will not result in corrosion to the steel base wire, as long as zinc is on nearby wire surfaces.
