When three large concrete clarifiers at Adams Field Water Reclamation Facility in Little Rock, Ark., began showing signs of erosion, owner/engineer Little Rock Water Reclamation Authority contracted Thomas Industrial Coatings to coat the weir troughs before additional loss occurred and more costly repairs were required. Thomas Industrial Coatings turned to us at Induron Protective Coatings for coatings expertise and product specifications for the project.
The Coatings Solution
To specify a coatings solution, we considered the owner’s expectation for the finished product, the condition of the existing concrete, and the typical environment created by immersion service in wastewater solutions. With these factors in mind, we recommended Mortarchem Ceramic Modified Cementitious Epoxy Mortar and Ceramasafe 90 Ceramic Epoxy.
About Mortarchem
As a high-performance epoxy-modified cementitious surface and repair mortar, Mortarchem was the perfect choice for restoring the concrete surface prior to applying the lining material. Cementitious epoxy mortars are a vital step in most concrete lining projects, but they are often fraught with problems and application challenges. Induron manufactured Mortarchem to simplify the application process while delivering better performance and improved production.
“We realized a need for an improved and easy-to-use epoxy mortar,” said Andy Ordorzynski, Induron's National Sales Manager. “Mortarchem’s user-friendliness is unmatched. It’s one of those products that seems too good to be true until you apply it yourself.”
When applied, Mortarchem fills bug holes, seals pores, and mitigates outgassing. Plus, proprietary technology, including a unique ceramic modification package, makes Mortarchem simple to use in the field.
“At Induron, our goal is to provide innovative technology to solve problems for our customers,” said Davies Hood, Induron's President. “Sometimes this means producing a new product for a specific need in the marketplace. Mortarchem is an excellent addition that meets a very real need.”
About Ceramasafe 90
Ceramasafe 90 Ceramic Epoxy was chosen as the lining for the concrete clarifiers because it is the best solution for the demands of the project. While Induron’s Protecto 401 Ceramic Epoxy has been the industry standard for handling untreated wastewater influent for decades, Ceramasafe 90 brings this same 35-year track record of ceramic epoxy performance to other treatment plant assets.
“The impermeability of the ceramic pigment combined with the cyclo-aliphatic resin’s performance and high-build characteristics of Ceramasafe 90 Ceramic Epoxy created an almost-perfect coating combination for a wastewater environment like this,” said Paul Powers, Induron’s Mid-Central Regional Manager.
Ceramasafe 90 provides low permeability, good chemical and corrosion resistance, and superior barrier protection. While most competitive products add significant costs and complications to a project by requiring plural component application equipment, Ceramasafe 90 can be applied up to 40 mils in a single coat with standard airless spray equipment. This high-build, high-performance coating is formulated for maximum corrosion protection of steel, non-ferrous metals, and concrete substrates exposed to corrosive wastewater environments that produce hydrogen sulfide. Plus, at less than 100 grams/liter of VOCs or HAPs, Ceramasafe 90 is air quality-compliant in the most stringent of regulated regions.
Applying the Coatings
The most critical part of this project was ensuring that the application of Mortarchem came off exactly right so that the lining had a satisfactory surface to be applied over. Solid teamwork from Thomas Industrial Coatings Project Foreman Jeff Reed and a hands-on approach by Induron Technical Services Director William Seawell made the application a complete success, demonstrating what a cohesive partnership between a coatings contractor and supplier can accomplish.