CENTENNIAL, CO - AESS is a growing market, particularly in the building sector, and as the interest in AESS has increased, so has the desire to use more HDG in these projects. However, because AESS projects come with high visual expectations, HDG has largely been limited to use in AESS Category 1, which contains the lowest appearance requirements. Many specifiers have a desire to use HDG in higher category AESS projects, so the AGA has developed a supplemental guide to AISC/CISC’s existing guides using the AESS Custom category. The goal is to make it easier for the galvanizer to capitalize on the premium price tags that are built into the AESS model, rather than shying away from the projects because they can become a “headache.” 

The AGA developed HDG AESS steel sample pieces and an instructional guide to assist specifiers in using hot-dip galvanized Architecturally Exposed Structural Steel (AESS). Currently, there is a common misconception it is not possible to obtain AESS quality galvanized steel because many surface conditions normally accepted in the primary galvanizing standards (i.e. runs, skimmings, roughness, excess zinc) may not be acceptable for showcase or feature elements without additional and costly smoothing by the galvanizer and/or fabricator.

The intent of this publication is to explain how to use the AESS category systems developed by the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) and the Canadian Institute of Steel Construction (CISC) to facilitate such communication, minimize the cost premium for achieving galvanized AESS, and examine best practices to maximize hot-dip galvanizing appearance.

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