Washington State DOT: FSS 50DM Pure Polyurea
MARKET: Waterproofing : Steel Pilings
SYSTEM: FSS50DM Elastomeric Spray Polyurea; PW-1 Primer
PROJECT: Waterproofing Steel Pier Clusters, Puget Sound
OWNER: Washington State Department of Transportation : Ferry System
CONTRACTOR: System Development Solutions, Kansas City, Kansas
The Washington State Department of Transportation replaced several of its pier clusters during an upgrade at a ferry terminal on Puget Sound. Rather than deal with the accumulation of barnacles and sea vegetation that historically accumulated on wooden and steel pilings, the DOT opted to use steel pilings coated with polyurea. This allowed quick cleaning of the piles and also protected the pilings from rust and other deterioration, such as scour.
After the pilings were shot blasted, primed and then allowed to dry, VersaFlex FSS 50DM was applied at 25 to 30 mils. The pilings were left in storage for a couple of weeks and then loaded and floated to the erection area and placed.
This application was a test to compare our coating with epoxy coatings. We performed exceptionally well in all areas, in fact, only scuffing occurred when placed — there was no damage to the coating whatsoever.
At last inspection (2003) there were no signs of deterioration and barnacles are easier to remove from the polyurea vs. the epoxy.
