Jim Machen

stripe coating application

Importance of Stripe Coating for Extending Coating Service Life  

Stripe Coating The Protective Coatings Glossary (SSPC 00 – 07) defines a “Stripe Coat” as: “A coat of paint applied only to edges or to welds on steel structures before or after a full coat is applied. The stripe coat is intended to give those areas sufficient film build to resist corrosion.” SSPC Paint Guide …

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coating specification language

Coating Specification Language – What Goes Where?

What is considered a good coating specification and how is it written? Specifications are essentially a project “roadmap” that should convey the project scope of work and the requirements in a simple, clear, concise and easy to read format.  A well written specification allows the reader to easily navigate, understand, and use the document.  The …

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bolted bridge connections

Preventing Coating Problems and Failures on Bolted Bridge Connections – F-Files: Mechanisms of Failure

Rather than describe a failure that has already occurred, this article addresses key steps to follow when painting bolted connections in order to prevent failures from occurring by focusing on surface preparation and painting practices that have been used successfully on bolted bridge connections such as splice plates and gusset connections for new construction projects …

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aliphatic polyurethane bubbling

Common Causes of Blistering and Bubbling in Industrial Coatings

Blistering formation in high performance industrial coatings is a common phenomenon. Understanding why blisters form is sometimes very simple and in other instances quite complex. For example, understanding and describing the process by which moisture migrates through a coating film at a molecular level to achieve equilibrium can be very complex, especially to the layman. …

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Concrete Coating Failure

Concrete Floor Coatings Forensics Case History — Part 1, Field Investigation Phase

The field phase of this concrete floor coatings forensics case history included five steps: project familiarization and interview; moisture detection; coating thickness measurements; adhesion testing; and microscopic examination, sample collection and photographic documentation.This edition of the F-Files presents the field investigation undertaken to determine the cause of a concrete floor coating failure (Fig. 1). The …

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Paint Consulting

The Case of Bubbles, and Pinholes, and Blisters, Oh My! -Coating Condition Assessment

This month’s Case from the F-Files describes the problem of bubbles, pinholes, and blisters in a polyurethane finish coat applied to new structural steel members at a coal-fired power generation plant. Many of the pinholes and bubbles were so small that they were difficult to detect with the unaided eye. Many of the largest blisters …

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Water Tank blistering

The Case of Surprise Blistering and Rusting on a New Tank Lining System

From JPCL, July 2012 In this month’s F-Files, blisters formed in a lining system installed on the interior of a raw water storage tank that was constructed at a new power plant. Because careful quality control and quality assurance inspection measures were taken from the time blast cleaning began through complete curing of the lining system, it …

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