When you shop for a hoop building, steel quality matters, but the process behind it matters more. The way a manufacturer sources steel, coats it, checks it, and stands behind it will shape how well your building holds up over time.
Here at Ackerman’s, we use domestic-made galvanized steel because it stays consistent and meets stricter quality checks. This means fewer material surprises, better coating reliability, and a frame that resists rust and wear for longer.
What Galvanized Steel Does for a Hoop Building
A hoop building frame is steel. Steel rusts with moisture and air, but galvanization slows that process down.
Galvanizing means the steel gets a protective coating. If that coating is thick, even, and well applied, it helps the frame resist rust for much longer. If the coating is thin or uneven, rust can start sooner—especially at edges, bolt points, and scratched areas.
So, the real question is: what standards should your galvanized steel products meet for it to be worth your money? Let’s compare the quality and lifespan of domestic galvanized steel production and international mass imports.
Domestic-Made Galvanized Steel: A Breakdown
Domestic-made galvanized steel follows a controlled process, which helps produce more consistent results. There are many steps in making galvanized steel, but as mentioned earlier, coating thickness and application determine overall quality.
The first step is surface preparation before the steel is hot-dipped. This cleaning step is crucial, since zinc will not adhere properly unless the steel is clean.
The second step is hot dipping. The steel is dipped into a tub of molten zinc at roughly 830 to 850°F and stays there for roughly 10 minutes depending on the thickness of the steel. Domestic-made steel manufacturers use consistent chemical mixtures and do not rush through the process, helping the steel meet standards.
After it has been cleaned and dipped, the steel is inspected to ensure it meets American standards. This inspection includes checking coating thickness, weight, and appearance. The results are then analyzed and compared to ASTM Standards.
American-made galvanized steel is a strong option for hoop buildings because it helps ensure your frame can hold up for decades.
Why Domestic Process Usually Means Better Quality
Why domestic-made galvanized steel is typically higher quality:
- It stays consistent: A controlled process helps maintain consistency over time.
- It resists rust better over time: A stronger, more consistent coating helps steel handle moisture and weather longer.
- It holds up at stress points: Edges, cuts, joints, and high-contact areas matter most. Better coating and tighter checks help protect those spots.
- Strict inspections: Standards are higher, and material that doesn’t meet them is often reworked or re-galvanized.
How Mass-Imported Galvanized Steel Is Often Made
Mass-imported steel is made very similar to domestic-made steel, but a few steps may differ.
Surface preparation is often rushed or skipped to reduce costs. It could be just a quick cleaning off with just water or a simple dusting off. This is not sustainable when making galvanized steel.
“When considering hot-dip galvanizing foreign steels, be aware some foreign steel producers are known to have inaccurate steel chemistry analyses on the mill reports,” notes Galvanizeit.org.
The inconsistent chemical mixtures make the coating thickness uneven and the appearance less uniform.
There is typically an inspection process, but standards may be lower than American standards.
Mass-imported steel may look similar to domestic steel at first, but quality differences may show up a year or two after your hoop building is installed.
Why Mass Imports Are Not Our Choice
We don’t offer mass-imported galvanized steel because:
- Process Inconsistency: The rushed and inconsistent process causes the quality of the steel to be lower.
- Rust: Thin coatings of mass-imported steel cause it to rust much faster than domestic-made steel.
- Weak at endpoints: The joints, cuts, and edges are not protected although they are crucial parts of a hoop building.
- Loose inspections: Inspections of mass-imported steel are very loose, allowing low quality steel to be sold.
Choosing the Right Steel Frame for the Long Run
A hoop building is used to protect equipment, materials, or livestock year after year.
Our goal at Ackerman’s Equipment & Rental is simple: provide a hoop building that’s durable and long-lasting. If you want fewer surprises, fewer weak spots, and a frame built with tighter control, domestic-made galvanized steel is the best option.