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Issue link: http://coatingspromag.epubxp.com/i/141578
overspray concerns in the environmentally sensitive site. Coating applications were subjected to both wet and dry film thickness readings to verify specification compliance. T he projec t went smoot h ly, it seemed, as they completed the work on time and on budget. Perfect Painters returned home sa fely, invoiced t he work, a nd deposited t he pay ment . Another satisfied customer! About a month later, though, the client was singing a different kind of tune. Perfect Painters answered the phone call, expecting that there might be more work to bid on at the storage facility. However, they soon learned that was not the case. There was more work to be done, but it wasn't the kind that Perfect Painters were looking for. Instead, they found out that the galvanized pipe stands were already rusting. With photographic proof, the facility owner showed Perfect Painters where the trouble was. And it was extensive. RIGHT After taking DFT readings, the contractor determined that the surface prep and base primer had been applied to specifications. The intermediate and finish coats must have been the issue. 70 CoatingsPro g July 2013 What happened? Ben, a NACE International level 2 certified coating inspector with a decade of field experience in petroleum facilities, arrived within the week to inspect the failing job. The facility owner had a representative walk the pipeline with Ben for a visual inspection. The problem appeared to be limited to pipe support landing zones and some weld seams. Ben raised the pipe on the pipe supports with an 8-ton bottle jack. He took DFT readings on all stands to ensure the coating met specification in the areas that were not rusting. He found that the initial surface preparation and installation of the base Above The job was completed on time and on budget…or so the contractor thought. When the facility owner sent photos of rusting galvanized pipe stands, it was clear something was wrong. primer had been completed in accordance with the specification. For the first half of the pipeline, though, the DFT gauge told a different story; the system met the recommended film thickness around but not within the landing zones, which camouflaged the hidden flaws of the virtually missing intermediate and finish coats. Embarrassed, Ben continued to identify all of the remedial repair areas using black lumber chalk.