COATING AND PAINTING OF STEEL STACKS

A casino contracted Industrial Access for coating services of their decorative steel stacks. The structures were washed and prepped, and a new coating system was installed. The project was completed to protect the stacks’ steel plate from oxidation and improve the appearance of the casino exterior.

A casino in the southeast of the US was in need of maintenance services for their decorative stacks built on the roof of a steamboat-like building. The four steel stacks, (2) 50’ and (2) 100’, were designed to visually imitate ship funnels. Aside from guy wires, the two of the taller stacks were additionally supported by a couple of lateral struts built in between. Industrial Access (IA) had observed all of the structures and noted the signs of wear on their steel plates, such as faded paint, grime, and oxidation. The structures had to be cleaned and repainted for aesthetic as well as preventive maintenance purposes.

Since the stacks were built for decorative purposes only, the team of IA engineers had to develop a unique strategy for accessing the structures not designed for industrial maintenance work. The taller stacks had limited access available through the interior ladder system, which was sufficient to enable rope access rigging from the tops of the stacks and across their horizontal bracing. However, the other two 50’ stacks had no provided access with no structural elements off which the ropes could be effectively rigged, so a scaffolding system was assembled and installed instead.

Once mobilized, IA set up to wash the structures first in order to prepare the steel surfaces for coating. The crew utilized pressure washing technique to clean the exterior surfaces and remove all debris and any contaminants that may otherwise compromise the adhesion of the new coating system.

Then, the crew applied the primer coat, including a 1 mil rust bond layer, to all stacks and struts. This primer by Carboline was selected by the client for its wetting properties that penetrate rust in existing coatings and provide a firm anchorage for new topcoats. Once the structures had dried, IA applied black paint to the struts and top crowns of the stacks, red paint to the main bodies of the stacks, and gold paint to the brass bands decorating them. All paint was provided by the client.

IA completed this project successfully and on-time. In addition to improving the appearance, the applied coating system will also protect the structures from oxidation, preventing the thinning of the steel plate and contributing to the overall structural integrity. IA also provided a report of non-scope observations, ensuring that the client was aware of the corrosion and cracking present in some areas of the stacks and struts. This knowledge will enable the client to make plans ahead of time and avoid more extensive repairs in the future.