Coating the exterior of a large steel tank is never an easy endeavor, but add to that lead paint removal and a Class 1 explosive jobsite and things get complicated.

This cleaning process, though, creates its own “dirt:” It leaves behind residual chemicals that can potentially corrode the carbon steel (CS) flush tanks at the facility

The building had metal walls that were not insulated and there was no functional heating system. That was not going to work, so the company looked into its options and ultimately settled on spray polyurethane foam (SPF), also referred to as spray foam, and intumescent coatings.

With motorists above, a girder of the then 28-year-old bridge in Milwaukee, Wis., started to crack and sag. Although no injuries occurred, the steel arch bridge was closed immediately and repairs started soon after.

“Never paint a dirty surface” is something of a mantra in industrial painting circles. Without proper surface preparation, a coating will not adhere properly to the substrate and the system will fail.

They had an issue whereby their manufacturing plant created a lot of moisture as part of the process itself, and they have a condensation issue in that the moisture in the air would hit the cold steel above, condense, and then droplets of condensed water — mixed with whatever yuck happened to be on the ceiling — would drip down on their manufacturing process.

As any oil man or woman knows, when you are creating oil and gas in an oil field, there are several byproducts that need to be dealt with. One of them is salt water. Oil companies usually get rid of salt water by injecting it into wells, rocks, or other natural formations. But first the fluid has to go through a disposal facility. There, tanks collect the salt water and other oil and gas wastes. As long as the well is producing oil, salt will be created and require disposal.

Some jobs only require a week or two of work. Others mandate shifts that span 24 hours a day, seven days a week and take three years to finish. This was the second kind of job. It started when The Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District decided to recoat an irrigation pipe that ran along a canal. The goal was to extend its life by up to 30 years.

The marine environment is one of the harshest environments for galvanized steel. The constant exposure to salt water and the moist marine air are often too much for the galvanized steel pilings of the docks of marinas and harbors.

Everyone knows Colorado winters can be brutally cold. And no one knows this better than the Utility Maintenance Contractors (UMC) crew that was tasked with repairing, prepping, and coating the interior of a 14,000-square-foot (1,300.6 m²) bolted steel tank at a well-known brewery that wishes to remain unnamed.