Ornamental Metal (C-23) · Lesson 6 of 6

Caltrans Railing Steel: Galvanizing Schedule, Coating Check, and Tubular-Rail Fit

"Caltrans Railing Steel: Galvanizing Schedule, Coating Check, and Tubular-Rail Fit" is lesson 6 of 6 in the Ornamental Metal (C-23) Learning Hub. It opens with "Where Sections 75 and 83 Apply" and works through 5 short steps, then a worked example you can check yourself against.

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Steps in this lesson

  1. Where Sections 75 and 83 Apply
  2. Pick the Galvanizing Specification
  3. Prep and Hardware Rules
  4. Check the Coating and Repair Damage
  5. Tubular Railing Fit and Tolerances

The worked example in the course applies this lesson to a realistic job in 5 steps, from "Choose the specification for each part" through "Convert the plumb tolerance".

What you'll be able to do

  • Explain the main idea of "Caltrans Railing Steel: Galvanizing Schedule, Coating Check, and Tubular-Rail Fit" in plain language you can use on the exam.
  • Apply this step with confidence: "Prep and Hardware Rules".
  • Apply this step with confidence: "Check the Coating and Repair Damage".
  • Apply this step with confidence: "Tubular Railing Fit and Tolerances".
  • Test yourself on the worked example and the quick-check quiz inside the classroom.
Galvanized Railing Steel: Coating and FitZinc coating test, oz per sq ftPass = average 1.2 or more AND none under 1.0SpecimenLot ALot B11.311.3021.121.2831.250.9841.051.2551.401.30Sum6.136.11Average1.2261.222Lowest1.050.98ResultPASSFAILRail splice sleeve fit and tolerancesTube clear inside3.500 inSleeve out-to-out 3.375 in(gap exaggerated)Difference = 3.500 - 3.375 = 0.125 inLimit 3/16 = 0.1875 in: PASSA 3.250 in sleeve: 0.250 in is FAILPlumb: 0.02 ft per 10 ft = 0.24 inAdjacent rail elements align within 1/16 inLot A is accepted. Lot B is rejected: one specimen is under 1.0Repair damage: wire brush, remove loose coating, then 2 coatsof organic zinc-rich primer from the Authorized Material List,no aerosol cans (Caltrans §75-1.02B)Sources: 2025 Caltrans Std. Specs §75-1.02B, §83-1.02B, §83-2.08B-CCC
The diagram for this lesson, exactly as it appears in the Learning Hub.

The first steps of this lesson

Step 1: Where Sections 75 and 83 Apply

On Caltrans work, railings are built under 2025 Standard Specifications Section 83 (Railings and Barriers) and miscellaneous metal under Section 75. Section 83-1.02B says to grind welds on exposed surfaces flush with the adjacent surface and to galvanize completed steel parts and hardware for railings under Section 75-1.02B. After galvanizing the elements must be free of fins, abrasions, rough or sharp edges and surface defects and must not be kinked, twisted or bent, and elements with kinks, twists or bends may be rejected.

Step 2: Pick the Galvanizing Specification

Section 75-1.02B sorts parts into a table. Rolled, pressed and forged steel shapes, plates, bars and strip 1/8 inch thick or more are galvanized after fabrication into the largest practical sections under ASTM A123. Steel under 1/8 inch may be galvanized before fabrication (ASTM A653 coating designation G210) or after fabrication under ASTM A123, with the zinc averaging at least 1.2 oz per sq ft and no specimen under 1.0. Iron and steel hardware is galvanized after fabrication under ASTM A153. The table's footnote defines fabrication as shearing, cutting, punching, forming, drilling, milling, bending, welding and riveting.

The remaining 3 steps, the worked example and the quiz are in the course. This is a preview. The full lesson, with the step-by-step explanations, a worked example and a quick-check quiz, is inside the classroom.

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