Awning Frame & Fabric Structure Tubing

ASTM A500 galvanized tubes offer a combination of structural strength and corrosion resistance that makes them ideal for awning frames.

The A500 specification ensures consistent mechanical properties, including minimum yield strength of 46,000 PSI for Grade B. This provides the load-bearing capacity needed for commercial awning and canopy structures.

When galvanized with the Flo-Coat process, these tubes offer long-term weather resistance without sacrificing the weldability and formability that fabricators need for custom awning designs.

Swaging is a fabrication process that reduces the diameter of one end of a tube so it can slide inside another tube of the same nominal size, creating a telescoping or slip-fit connection.

For awning construction, swaged connections allow quick assembly and disassembly without welding. This is valuable for retractable awning systems and seasonal canopy installations. Swaged joints also create cleaner sight lines than external coupling fittings, giving the finished awning frame a more streamlined appearance.

In ASTM B117 salt spray testing, Flo-Coat and Gatorshield galvanized tubing consistently outperform standard hot-dip galvanized and pre-painted steel products.

The triple-layer coating system (zinc alloy, pure zinc, and clear organic topcoat) achieves over 500 hours of salt spray resistance before red rust appears, compared to 200-350 hours for typical single-coat galvanized products. This performance advantage is especially important for awning frames installed in coastal or high-humidity environments where salt exposure accelerates corrosion.

Galvanized steel tubing offers higher tensile and yield strength than aluminum at a lower material cost per foot. This allows fabricators to use smaller tube sizes while maintaining structural integrity.

Steel is also easier to weld and accepts powder coating better than aluminum. The main advantage of aluminum is its lighter weight, but for fixed commercial awning installations where wind load resistance and long-term durability are priorities, galvanized steel delivers better value.

Sonco’s Flo-Coat galvanized tubing bridges the corrosion resistance gap by providing zinc protection that matches or exceeds the natural oxidation resistance of aluminum.

Sonco stocks awning-grade galvanized tubing in standard 24-foot lengths across the most common profiles used in frame construction, including round tubes from 3/4 inch to 2 inch OD and square tubes from 1 inch to 2 inch.

Custom cut-to-length services are available for projects that require specific dimensions, and swaging can be performed on one or both ends to facilitate slip-fit assembly.

For large commercial awning projects, Sonco can coordinate bulk orders with pre-cut and pre-swaged components to reduce on-site fabrication time.

Awning construction typically requires a combination of round tubing for arched frames and rafters, square tubing for rigid structural supports and cross-members, and galvanized angles for brackets and connection points.

Sonco carries all three profiles in sizes suited to awning fabrication. Round tubing is available from 3/4 inch to 2-3/8 inch OD, square tubing from 3/4 inch to 2 inch, and steel angles in various leg sizes.

All products are available in Flo-Coat galvanized finish to ensure consistent corrosion protection across every component of the awning frame.