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COATINGSPRO NOVEMBER 2014 63 personnel, and all the vendors and contractors who supported the project refueling activities." But deal with it they did. First the crew abrasive blasted the substrate over about a week under dehumidifcation. Ten the coating application could fnally begin. After all the prepa- ration and build up, application only took two days, followed by inspection and minor touchups over an additional few days. To apply the coating, they used custom-made spray equip- ment manufactured by Spray-Quip of Houston, Texas, using Graco parts. But the location of the torus brought another challenge. "Te actual torus was deep inside the plant, and the pumping equipment had to be situated outside the facility," Longmore said. So they used heated, plural component airless spray fed by hose packs that were more than 400 feet (122 m) long. "Tat's almost unheard of," Longmore said. Tey wrapped the hose pack with a heat trace and insulation to keep it hot. Te coating was supplied in 55-gallon (208 L) open-head drums that dispensed automatically through large rams into heated auto-level reservoirs on the plural pump equipment. Another access problem was the fact that although the torus was really large —about 143 feet (44 m) across the doughnut with a cross section diameter of about 33 feet (10 m) — the only way to get inside was through two 54-inch (137 cm) manholes. Tat meant all power, personnel, ventilation, and material had to go in and out through those holes, which made the solvent-free coating even more practical. Te crew applied an initial stripe coat on all the sharp edges and wells. Tey followed that with one single coat sprayed at a minimum of a 30-mil (762 microns) thickness. Because almost no volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were emitted by the coating, the team used carbon cartridge respira- tory protection, mostly to guard against particulates. Tey also wore impervious protective clothing and gloves to guard against both coating contact and possible slight background radiation. A ll applicators also wore splash-proof goggles. Positive Reaction Despite all the complications, Longmore was very pleased with the results. "It was picture perfect," he said. His specially made blue BIO-DUR sprayed on beautifully and cured just as it was supposed to. Longmore said the entire team learned a lot during the job and worked through several complicated wrinkles, which means they' ll be even better prepared for the next job, wherever that might be. CP The Nuclear Option jotun.com Simply better corrosion protection. For the smaller maintenance jobs. Easy to get right. Tough to get wrong. Jotamastic Smart Pack Outstanding brush and roller properties Tel: (800) 229-3538 Wr i te in Re ad e r In q u ir y #336