It is likely that many contractors do not understand the liability they undertake when “G40e” or “G40EQ” coated products are substituted for G40 without their knowledge. G40e is not hot-dipped galvanized (99% Zinc). G40e is a misnomer, because equivalent metallic coatings are listed in Table 1 of ASTM A1003. Despite the research of the SSMA, the Steel Framing Industry Association (SFIA) has adopted a 75-hour salt spray test as its “standard” for G40 equivalency. It is important to note that CSSA, SSMA, and SSFSA all refuse to accept this definition, so any references to G40e as an “industry standard” coating is misleading. The real pitfall for G40e is the liability one might endure by stocking this material. The problem arises when a spec book reads “hot-dipped galvanized” (most do), and a manufacturer provides G40e without alerting the distributor, contractor, and architect that a substitution has been made.
