1.1 This specification covers the requirements for zinc coating (galvanizing) by the hot-dip process on iron and steel products made from rolled pressed and forged shapes, castings, plates, bars, and strips.

1.2 This specification covers both unfabricated products and fabricated products, for example, assembled steel products, structural steel fabrications, large tubes already bent or welded before galvanizing, and wire work fabricated from uncoated steel wire. This specification also covers steel forgings and iron castings incorporated into pieces fabricated before galvanizing or which are too large to be centrifuged (or otherwise handled to remove excess galvanizing bath metal).

Note 1--This specification covers those products previously addressed in Specifications A123-78 and A386-78.

1.3 This specification does not apply to wire, pipe, tube, or steel sheet which is galvanized on specialized or continuous lines, or to steel less than 22 gage (0.0299 in.) (0.76 mm) thick.

1.4 The galvanizing of hardware items that are to be centrifuged or otherwise handled to remove excess zinc (such as bolts and similar threaded fasteners, castings and rolled, pressed and forged items) shall be in accordance with Specification A153/A153M.

1.5 This specification is applicable to orders in either inch-pound units (as A123) or SI units (as A123M). Inch-pound units and SI units are not necessarily exact equivalents. Within the text of this specification and where appropriate, SI units are shown in parentheses. Each system shall be used independently of the other without combining values in any way. In the case of orders in SI units, all testing and inspection shall be done using the metric equivalent of the test or inspection method as appropriate. In the case of orders in SI units, such shall be stated to the galvanizer when the order is placed.