Welding galvanised box section for chassis and frame – cracking problems?

[togalornottogal]

Hi,

Hopefully I can find the right answer here.. Please let me post a disclaimer first, I am a female and don't know many technical terms so please bare with me 😉

I am currently in the market for a horse float and I am doing many hours of research before I buy.

I am noticing a lot of manufacturers are now making their floats from galvanised steel (not hot dipping them afterwards, but constructing them from galv, so grinding back the galv, welding then covering exposed metal with a spray).

I like this idea from a rust proofing perspective, however I have heard that because the temperature of the metal is changed when it gets galvanized that it is not useful for making structures such as trailers and horse floats that will bare load and flex and move on the road surface, especially for floats where the movement of the horse during transit is also a factor on the chassis.

The reason I'm told this is due to the fact that the welds will crack, or the area immediately surrounding the weld will crack if used for this application and that galv is fine to use on stationary structures, but not for anything that flexes such as a horse float will obviously do.

I've been advised to only buy a float that has been made from black and then galv dipped, but I can't find any manufacturers that do this, I've been told I can't even request it as there are no baths big enough in Victoria.

So, I guess what I'm wanting to know is, are the reports I've been given correct in that a horse float chassis/frame made from galvanized steel will crack due to welding?

Any help would be greatly appreciated, I've googled this and even read a study about welding galv steel, however the only information I can find is for stationary structures, which also seem to be bolted in most cases and don't rely on welds alone which is making me think maybe this information is correct? I really would like to buy a galv framed float, but not if there is going to be issues with it (the galv ones also seem to come at a premium cost).

Thanks!

[daveo84]

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