Solving steel corrosion problems others choose to ignore.
$3M International Bridge Painting Project Begins
MONDAY, JULY 18, 2022
Last week, a painting project to coat the Canadian side of the Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge began, using a one-coat paint system.
The steel truss arch bridge spans the St. Mary’s River between Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, and Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, and is the only vehicular crossing between those locations within a 300-mile distance. The structure is also the largest trade crossing in Northwestern Ontario, playing a “vital role” for both Soo communities, according to the bridge’s website.
Latest Coating Work
The $3 million painting project will coat the curb and service walk railing on the Canadian half of the bridge. Work is being completed by prime contractor source: https://www.paintsquare.com/news/view/?25293
For the coatings, the contractor will use a high-ratio calcium sulfonate alkyd (HRCSA) one-coat paint system.
“This innovative product and process offers many benefits,” said Bridge Engineer Karl Hansen. “We anticipate cost savings, enhanced corrosion resistance, quicker completion time, and minimized disturbance to the environment and our customers.”
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| US Army Corps of Engineers, Richard McDonald, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons |
| Last week, a painting project to coat the Canadian side of the Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge began, using a one-coat paint system. |
According to the release, painting operations will be conducted at various locations around the Canadian side using moveable scaffolding. One lane of alternating traffic will be maintained during the painting.
“The International Bridge Administration (IBA) advises motorists to expect delays, remain alert for workers, and use caution when traveling through the work zone,” writes the IBA.
The project is fully funded through the Federal Bridge Corp. Limited with the help of a capital budget allocation approved by the Government of Canada. Work is expected to be completed by Nov. 1.
(Post-Interview video with contractor Matt Glavin, http://www.glavin.net, regarding his personal experience of working with HRCSA on the Canadian side of the Sault Ste. Marie bridge arch.)
When the word “Coating” is used, most people think of a paint that forms into a solid barrier film.
The HRCSA Self-Priming Topcoat is an unconventional coating system which is both chemically active and elastomeric.
Traditional barrier or sacrificial barriers cure across the steel micro voids leaving areas of exposed steel between the coating and the substrate – these micro void areas are vulnerable to rapid undercutting once the barrier is breached.
HRCSA is a reacted calcium sulfonate, calcium carbonate based complex that fully wets the surface as it neutralizes acids, displaces moisture and scavenges oxygen leaving no micro voids unfilled.
The high ratio of active calcium sulfonate thoroughly wets the micro voids creating a mono-molecular layer of cations which ensure chemical neutrality and no undercutting if the coating is breached. ( The HRCSA reacted formulation’s uniqueness is what gives it this performance advantage.) <Link to Specifications>
Once applied, the formulation’s artificially grown calcite crystals line up like fish scales to form a strengthened film with extended pathways for moisture and oxygen.
When acidic moisture (acid rain) passes through these crystals, a minute amount of the calcite dissolves to create a neutral base liquid void of acidity at the steel substrate.
Summarily, it neutralizes acids, displaces moisture, and scavenges oxygen.
When the word “Penetrant” is used, most people think of a low molecular weight epoxy or moisture cured urethane penetrants which were primarily designed to bind up existing rust on steel surfaces and a tiecoat.
Crevice corroded and pack-rusted joints and connections that are properly prepared (flushed, salt mitigated and dried) then pressure filled to refusal with HRCSA Penetrant-Sealer, Meld-coated with HRCSA self-priming topcoat and overcoated with same (wet on wet), creates a chemically active, flexible seal that actively stops corrosion inside the connection for years (even decades) to come.
HRCSA Penetrant can be fogged, or mist applied inside tubes.
“In 1990, the federal government gave the I-35W bridge a rating of “structurally deficient”, citing significant corrosion in its bearings.“
“The inspection carried out June 15, 2006 found problems of cracking and fatigue.”
I-35W Mississippi River bridge – Wikipedia
Society tends to take it’s infrastructure for granted. We rarely give the structures we depend on for our livelihood little notice (other than perhaps cursing the potholes that mess up our suspensions and alignments).
Nonetheless, those unseen structure critical connections that hold the bridge together are, well, critical. When leaking expansion joints, faulty drainage or nearby pollution emitting plants introduce non-visible contaminants to the steel, insidious damage slowly introduces it’s self in the form of corrosion-frozen moving parts such bearings, pin connectors, wire rope all of which can have a very negative impact on the superstructure’s integrity.
When bearings seize, the superstructure becomes restricted in it’s ability to flex and move with contractions, expansions, traffic load changes and even high winds in some areas.
Additionally, when movements are restricted, imagine the pressures that take place at the connection plates and on the fasteners? In the very least, the coating that’s protecting the connection is sure to crack and let corrosion causing contaminants and water in. Once corrosion sets in inside the connection, the steel at the connection converts into corrosion by-product – which can be 10 times as voluminous as the steel from whence it came – resulting in both thinner steel at the connection AND even more pressure on the fastening plates and fasteners.
Compound this effect with heavy traffic loads, and, well, history has it’s story stories to tell.
Field Proven HRCSA is unique in it’s ability to chemically stop active corrosion INSIDE CORRODING CONNECTIONS (for 15-20 years) and also inside pin connectors, and corrosion frozen bearings.
When it comes to bearings and pin connectors look no further. HRCSA not only stops the corrosion between the plates by displacing moisture, scavenging oxygen and neutralizing acids, but it also causes black oxides to detach from the steel interface (thereby unrestricting it’s movements) while also adding lubricity to the plates and a coating that stretching with microcracking.
How’s that for functional elegance?
There are no words to describe how seeing this a year after abrasive blasting and applying 3 coats makes the owner feel… <disappointed>, <resigned>, <frustrated>, <deceived>
When dealing with aged, in-place, corroded structures, traditional film-form coatings do not have the right chemistry needed to stop pack-rust growth.
When bearings freeze due to corrosion, pressure is introduced to the bridge superstructure.
When corrosion build between plates expands and out of plane bending occurs, the integrity of the structure is put at risk, the rating is affected, and fasteners are weakened.
Structure Critical Corrosion Can Shave Years of Service Life off Your Structure.
For years it was believed that “There is nothing you could do about rust bleed leaking from connections.” until as recently as 30 years ago when HRCSA formulations were created specifically to chemically step active corrosion inside connections. Although the HRCSA Self-priming topcoat is applied stand-alone on exposed steel substrate, there is one specific area where it it is provided a boost: inside pack-rusted joints and connections and other steel openings.
Step 1: High pressure water clean with salt remover to produce a clean, tightly adhered substrate and flushed joints and connections.
Step 2: Apply high pressure air to remove water and humidity from surfaces and inside connections
Step 3: Apply HRCSA Penetrant under pressure to fill capillary channels inside connections.
Step 4: Apply HRCSA Self-Priming Topcoat to Penetrant treated connections, rivet heads and sharp angles using a brush. Overcoat the entire structure.
The photo at the bottom is that of an HRCSA treated pack-rusted connection after 17 years in service.
The HRCSA melding process is achieved by first saturating, flushing, and blowing out connections and then flooding the inside of the connections with low viscosity HRCSA Penetrant/Sealer under pressure. This material chemically treats corrosion causing acids inside the crevice corroded or pack rusted joints or connections. Once applied, this material will remain chemically active inside the connection for as long as it is sealed in by the HRCSA Self-Priming Topcoat. Together, they form a mid-layer of chemistry we call the “meld zone”. This meld-zone serves as a chemical reserve that is a continuous source of corrosion-fighting chemistry as HRCSA continually wicks it way deeper and deeper into the crevice during structural movement (expansion and contraction). When this process is applied to bearing plates, the HRCSA chemistry applies lubricity as it frees up corrosion frozen bearings.
Traditional cross-linking overcoating systems adhere by chemical-mechanical reaction which means that THEY shrink more and more over time stressing the existing overcoated substrate paint systems whereas HRCSA does not shrink meaning that HRCSA overcoated substrate paints will not lift away from the steel as time passes on.
HRCSA overcoat systems adhere through polar bonding and are not reliant on chemical nor mechanical reactions for adhesion producing a low surface energy bond without risk of existing coating delamination.
Because HRCSA is a chemically active, surface tolerant system, it can be applied to any existing tightly adhered cleaned, salt and black oxide free substrate (avoid applying over rubber or uncured tar). In addition, HRCSA can overcoat tightly adhered, contaminant-free existing coating systems.
Due to HRCSA’s low surface energy, the risk of delamination caused by shrinkage from traditional overcoat systems is very low.
During open forum discussions about structure critical corrosion with chief structural engineers at the Federal Highway and with state bridge authorities, the engineers were disapproving of how ineffective painting structures with traditional barrier coating systems is. Especially with regard to particularly stopping rust bleeding at the crevice corroded connections and corrosion-frozen moving parts and long term reliability.
The low surface energy HRCSA self-priming topcoat does not ‘tug and pull’ (long term) existing substrate coatings – a characteristic that is especially important in cold weather conditions.
The chemically active aspect for the HRCSA self-priming topcoat’s cousin (HRCSA active Penetrant) is field proven to stop structure critical corrosion inside complex joints and connections, moving parts and wire rope.
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