Correct selection of the material by the design engineer affects the design life of a structure. Sometimes stainless steel is not the correct choice and carbon steel would be better. There is a misconception that stainless steel has excellent corrosion resistance and will not corrode. This is not always the case and should not be used to handle deoxygenated solutions for example, as the stainless steel relies on oxygen to maintain passivation and is also susceptible to crevice corrosion.
Galvanizing or hot-dip galvanizing is used to coat steel with a layer of metallic zinc. Lead or antimony are often added to the molten zinc bath, and also other metals have been studied.