CoatingsPro offers an in-depth look at coatings based on case studies, successful business operation, new products, industry news, and the safe and profitable use of coatings and equipment.
Issue link: http://coatingspromag.epubxp.com/i/72303
so ventilated/heated containments were built 100' (30.48m) long by 40' (12.19m) wide to create a favorable environment for application ¢ Field application (Bushton, KS) is built into the critical path, making scheduling around 300 other workers difficult. PKI spray-applied three tower vessel skirts on site with ventilated containments for protection MATERIALS/PROCESS: ¢ Abrasive blast steel to SP-10 Near White ¢ Mask and protect all connection joints; appropriate connections are identified by PKI's management team and approved by engineer ¢ Spray-apply prime coat of International Paint's Intergard 251 at 2-3 mils (50.8 microns to 76.2 microns) using Graco 33:1 spray equip- ment ¢ Spray-apply first coat of Chartek 1709 using a plural-component variable-ratio airless fireproofing pump ¢ Apply HK-1 Carbon Fiber Mesh ¢ Spray-apply second and third coats of Chartek 1709, depending on the given hour rating; hand trowel/back roll to achieve uniform ap- pearance; 2-hour rating was applied at 421 mils (10693.4 microns) and 3-hour rating was applied at 618 mils (15697.2 microns) ¢ Spray-apply International Paint's Interthane 990HS Chartek Gray at 2-3 mils (50.8 microns to 76.2 microns) using Graco 33:1 spray equipment ¢ For the mod shop and field block-outs: surface prep of exposed primer, hand trowel application to required thickness ¢ Field application of misc. tower skirts: spray-apply 1709 using a Single Leg Ram Induction Fireproofing Pump SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS: ¢ Crew wore standard safety gear, including rain suits, face shields, metatarsal boots, Kevlar gloves (when water blasting), Tyvek suits, goggles, long sleeves, hard hats, and reflective vests when working around so many other trades ¢ Mild nature of water-based intumescent allowed crew to wear standard face masks instead of respirators when applying intumescent ¢ 100% tie-off and five-point fall protection harnesses required when working on man lifts ¢ Four safety engineers and one safety director managed the project; safety meetings held on regular basis ¢ All the normal safety precautions of an intumescent fireproofing project; 100% tie off on "free climb" areas due to access issues; 100% tie off on all man lifts; 4 gas monitors on site; full-time safety monitors Engineering acting as lead / owners representative. "Burns & McDonnell had a tight schedule, and by us bringing to light the fact that fireproofing affected the critical path sched- ule, PK Industrial was able to keep things on schedule with no accidents," Turpin proudly states. PK Industrial is one of the largest fireproofing installers in the United States, and it has recently completed international projects as well. PK Industrial also operates a PK Safety program, which provides safety, consulting services, and turn-around support to owners to a wide range of industries. Four safety engineers and one safety director managed the safety aspects of the project. Although PK Industrial has a written quality assurance/quality control (QA/ QC) program, it also recently hosted a NACE Coating Inspector Program (CIP) Level 1 course for both customers and employees with lab day at PK's shop. The investment in quality and safety has paid off in the fit and finish of projects. "We have some customers now who literally write our name in the specification as the required 72 CoatingsPro J July 2012 ABOVE "The project was divided between modular steel and support steel, which were provided by the same supplier but had to be delivered to different locations from PKI's shop, creating a need for intensive logistical management," Turpin describes the intense three jobsite process. contractor for a fireproofing project," Turpin explains. "In our business, that is quite an honor." A crew of 50 shop workers (augmented by 20 modular shop and 20 on-site workers for finishing the project) was led by project manager Landon Riggs. HOW MUCH IS TOO MUCH? Steel contained within the same modules contained pieces that were designated 2-hour and some that were designated 3-hour, which necessitated a highly detailed tracking system while they went through PKI's shop. "The difference between 2-hour and 3-hour fire-rated material thicknesses is 421 mils and 618 mils (10693.4 microns and 15697.2 microns) respectively, so mis-identification and over-application of fireproofing materials is the difference between a profitable job or an expensive learning experience, " Turpin states. It is a complicated procedure. When the steel first arrives, it just arrives in a bundle. Nothing is labeled. The contractor must figure out which piece is what. What goes where, and how every beam is oriented. And, according to American Petroleum Institute (API) standards, only three sides of a beam are coated with fireproofing. For the 2-hour rated version of the specified coating for this project, the cost is currently $7.50/sq.ft./lb. Therefore, it is critical that measurements are correct. Too thick an application or an extra side coated is an expensive mistake. But mistakes with measurements can have more serious consequences. In fireproof- ing, it really is a matter of life or death. The thicknesses at which the intumescent coatings are applied to the substrate depend on a variety of factors, including the size of the steel piece. A thicker piece of steel will heat more slowly in a fire. The period of time that it takes for the piece to heat is how the UL deter- mines its "hourly rating, " meaning that the steel won't collapse for that given number of hours. In this manner, a thick piece of steel is given less intumescent coating than a thinner piece. And every beam and column must be carefully measured and properly protected.