CoatingsPro Magazine

SEP 2015

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.

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COATINGSPRO SEPTEMBER 2015 77 if the area has both concrete and steel surfaces," said Harnage. Tis is especially advantageous when working on jobs with limited access. In these situations, the fewer materials that are needed, the better. And unlike other coatings that may contain VOCs or solvents, Ecodur 201 has no fash point. Tis means that power tools and regular lighting can be used during the application of the coating, even in tanks or other confned spaces, as there is no risk of sparking a fre. Ready, Set…Prepare and Repair Before the crew cou ld beg in any rehabi litation and repair work inside the tank, the ex isting layer of fai led epox y coating needed to be removed, a long w ith a l l loose d ir t, debr is, and contaminants. T he concrete substrate was abrasive blasted using equipment f rom Sunbelt Renta ls and sand as the blast med ia. Once the entire tank was abrasive blasted, the team set to work repairing the cracked and damaged concrete substrate. " T here were areas that were cracked and leaking. T hese JOB AT A GLANCE PROJECT: Apply a coating system to the interior of the main drinking water reservoir tank COATINGS CONTRACTOR: Aquablocx LLC P.O. Box 370 Orange Beach, AL 36561 (615) 484-6236 www.aquablocx.com SIZE OF CONTRACTOR: 7 employees SIZE OF CREW: 4 crew members PRIME CLIENT: Naval support facility in Virginia that wishes to remain unnamed SUBSTRATE: Concrete CONDITION OF SUBSTRATE: Poor with cracks and areas of failed epoxy coating SIZE OF JOB: 10,000 sq. ft. (929.0 m²) DURATION: 10 days UNUSUAL FACTORS/CHALLENGES: » Cold temperatures required that the coating material be heated in the Aquablocx trailer and that the tank be heated prior to coating applica- tion. » This was considered a confined space entry. » The coating material is made from castor oil, so there are no volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in manufacturing or in the application process. MATERIALS/PROCESSES: » Abrasive blasted the entire interior of the reservoir to remove the exist- ing coating, as well as any loose dirt, debris, or other contaminants » Injected large cracks with Avanti International's AV 202, a hydrophilic epoxy; trowel-applied BASF repair mortar to these areas » Spray-applied Ecodur 201 using a Graco pump and Graco/Glascraft gun at a thickness of approximately 100 mils (2,540.0 microns) » Conducted a visual inspection and took random core samples to verify the average thickness of the coating prior to the reservoir tank being put back into service SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS: » Constructed scaffolding with handrails inside the tank » Used harnesses and tied crew members off to safety lines at all times while on scaffolding » Monitored air and wore 3M full-face respirators » Wore 3M protective coveralls Temperatures ranged from the teens to around 29–35° F (-1.7–1.7° C). That meant that the crew needed to use heaters to warm the coating to 150° F (65.6° C) before spraying it. Then the crew dealt with the cracks. They injected AV202 by Avanti International and then trowel-applied a layer of BASF repair mor tar, which Aquablocx's Ed Harnage called a water plug.

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