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Springdale Borough Opts for Fiberglass
What do you do when the
existing lining in your water plant clearwell no longer provides the
containment protection for which it was designed?
This problem recently presented itself to the Springdale Borough
Water System, in Springdale, Pennsylvania; and Bill Cadamore, Operations
Foreman, knew the exact approach that he wanted to take. Cadamore needed a new
lining for his two 84,000 gallon concrete clearwells. The 18-inch thick
reinforced concrete tanks were originally lined with a coal tar epoxy and
during clean out, delamination and spalling was creating a maintenance
problem. He wanted a system
that would offer corrosion resistance, meet AWWA standards, provide total
containment, low maintenance and be pleasing to the eye.
The new lining must also allow the clearwells to run independently
and form a tight seal to the 12-inch stainless steel butterfly valve
connecting the two tanks. It
must be installed with minimal downtime, tank volume modification and most
importantly, minimal operations disruption. With the parameters for
the lining system set, Cadamore contacted Chautauqua Fiberglass &
Plastics, Inc., to discuss the possibility of a new fiberglass reinforced
plastic (FRP) lining for the clearwells.
The Springdale plant had great success with FRP softener tanks and
FRP grating, and if an FRP lining was available, he was interested.
Mike Dunkerley, President of Chautauqua, met with Bill Cadamore,
Jim Dugan, Borough Water Chairman and April Winklmann, Borough
Secretary/Treasurer and suggested the Chautauqua HL-922 Fiberglass Lining
Systems The HL-922 system
consists of a combination of prefabricated and hand lay-up FRP panels,
applied at 0.25 inches to all concrete surfaces including wall
penetrations, pylons, and mechanical supports.
Materials Design Evaluation, Inc., an engineering firm specializing
in the design and analysis of FRP; was contracted to develop a
specification for this particular installation. Chautauqua then, with
assistance from Senate Engineering Company, and the borough’s consulting
engineers, presented their proposal to the Springdale Water Authority in
early August 2001. On August
29, 2001 the clearwell lining project was awarded, via open bid, to
Chautauqua Fiberglass & Plastics, Inc., by the Allegheny Valley North
Council of Governments through a Community Block Grant Program. The following is a
synopsis of the installation performed by Chautauqua Fiberglass &
Plastics, Inc.: 1.
Hydroblasted all surfaces to remove existing coal tar epoxy
and all loose concrete. 2.
Repaired all concrete voids and cracks with Chautauqua
HL-922 Fiberbond Filler and level substrate creed or trowel. 3.
Applied 2-inch FRP strips on 3 feet centers to walls using
mechanical anchors. 4.
Installed prefabricated 4 feet by 8 feet FRP panels to the
walls using mechanical anchors. Joined
panel seams with FRP hand lay-up lining. 5.
Lined tank floor and joined to walls using FRP hand lay-up
method. 6.
Applied pigmented topcoat. 7.
Visually inspect for voids, steam cleaned and filled.
The Chautauqua HL-922 FRP lining system was installed in two phases, due to time constraints and access to the clearwells. Isolating each tank was a problem which was overcome through careful planning and timely work crew mobilization. Bill Cadamore stated, “Mike Dunkerley and the Chautauqua Company as a whole, were responsive, accommodating and very cooperative in resolving any construction issues.” In addition to the HL-922
System installation, Chautauqua provided core drilling, installed steel
pipe sleeves lined with FRP, and connected the clearwells with a 12-inch
butterfly valve. They also set
a new FRP lined drain and coated all mechanical supports and piping.
Two-12 foot FRP ladders were installed for easy access to the
tanks. The total outcome now
provides Springdale Borough with an attractive, durable lining system that
will provide total containment and low maintenance for many years to come. Chautauqua Fiberglass & Plastics, Inc., located in northwestern Pennsylvania, provides fiberglass reinforced plastic linings, chemical tanks, equipment covers and housing, platforms and ladders, grating and odor-control grating plates to the water and wastewater industries.
Electrolyte dripping from overhead pipes was destroying their steel clad tanks from the outside in. To make matters worse, there was no way for Prefinished Metals to replace steel with steel. Their plant was built around the three massive, corroded tanks. “It’s common for our
service crew members to uncover these kinds of problems,” says Michael
Dunkerley, president, Chautauqua Fiberglass & Plastics, Inc.
“This particular installation was a challenge because of the
plant’s design.” That
didn’t dissuade the people of Chautauqua Fiberglass from attacking the
problem head on and after long and detailed discussions with Walbridge
Coatings (Prefinished Metals’ parent company), creating a fiberglass
laminate with CoREZYN
brand VE8301 vinyl ester, as the best solution.
The CoREZYN VE8301 creates a strong laminate that is also
impermeable to electrolytes. John McNally of Durr
Marketing, was the key Interplastic consultant on the project.
McNally provided the critical information and confidence that the
VE8301 was the proper resin for the project.
“John was always so helpful in problem solving, he went above and
beyond the call of duty. In
fact, he was the one who convinced me that CoREZYN vinyl ester resins are the
best in the business,” says Dunkerley.
“I don’t use anything else.” The replacement tank was
12-feet in diameter by 60-feet long. Chautauqua
President provided ¾-inch thick, filament wound pipe, also made with CoREZYN VE8301.
They fabricated molds from steel with three-inch wide by
two-inch thick flanges on the ends. The
finished tank was built in ten-foot pieces and had five flanges plus dome
ends on the first and last pieces. A
gutter was also built around the tank so that if any electrolyte did drip
on the tank, it could be collected and pumped back into it. Crews dismantled one of
the corroded steel tanks and hauled it out with a monorail crane system
and forklifts. Each piece of
the new fiberglass tank was brought into the plant, bolted together on the
outside and laminated on the inside to create a seamless, corrosion
barrier. Production took about
twelve weeks but installation only took four days.
“Their mill gave us ten days - over the July 4, 1996 holidays -
to complete the installation. You
can bet they were pleased to regain six working days,” commented
Dunkerley. The new fiberglass tank
was on a one-year trial and at the end of the twelve month period, an
independent fiberglass engineering firm was hired by Prefinished Metals,
to evaluate it. The tank was
corrosion-free and so Chautauqua was given the green light to build two
more tanks, which were installed over the July 4, 1997 holidays.
“Twice a year, an outside firm continues to check the integrity
of the tanks and at the last report, there was still no sign of any
degradation. The tanks are
perfect and we expect a 15-year life from them,” concluded Dunkerley.
“That, by the way, is a 15-year, maintenance-free life.” Sharpsville,
Pennsylvania, is home to Chautauqua Fiberglass & Plastics, Inc.
What began as a one-man shop making sailboats, is now three
divisions strong. Chautauqua
specializes in electroplating, fume exhaust and air pollution equipment. Interplastic Corporation
is a specialty chemical company with its headquarters in St. Paul,
Minnesota. It is focused on the production and distribution of unsaturated
polyester resins, vinyl ester resins, and gel coats for the composites and
cast polymer industries. Their
CoREZYN brand vinyl esters are known for their strength, durability, and
superior corrosion resistance. Mission Statement
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