Rising to a lining challenge for Alstom

Repair Protection and Maintenance (RPM) has now completed the difficult internal lining of two Braithwaite bolted panel tanks for Alstom Power at Ratcliffe-on-Soar near Nottingham.

The tanks had been redundant for many years before it was decided to line them to use them to contain water for use with a new project.

RPM used the Nu Tank lining system, which only required manual surface preparation to ST 2. This system was developed in the early 80s to provide a good, long term coating for water tanks in roof spaces in sensitive buildings such as hospitals, food processing plants and high rise offices or flats, where grit blasting would be both impracticable and potentially too messy for the surrounding environment.

The system is a grp lining that uses a water-based rust converting primer applied to the manually prepared substrate. Two layers of 450 gsm glass fibre mats are used in the laminate and the finished lining forms a tank within the tank.

To complete the lining RPM had to overcome a number of challenges.

The two tanks were 200m apart and located 30m above ground level on the third floor of the main building. Access to the floor was good, but from the lift to the tanks were steps and a narrow gangway, which made transporting equipment difficult.

The height from the compressor, which had to be located at ground level, also made generating sufficient air pressure a challenge, requiring the use of a much larger compressor than normal.

In addition, because of nearby pipes and a small man entry hatch, to achieve safe access and egress in the case of an emergency, one of the 4ft x 4ft roof panels was removed while work was carried out. This was separately prepared and coated on the underside before being replaced at the end of the job.

Says Dan Macdonald, managing director of RPM: “Braithwaite tanks are always more difficult to line than normal tanks, but each site has its own challenges and overcoming those is what makes a project interesting.”

“RPM has worked on the Ratcliffe site before,” adds Alstom site project manager Ian Holbrook, “and their people know the site and our procedures and we know their capabilities, so it was easy for us to use them again.”

RoS Outside

Dan Macdonald

Managing Director

Repair Protection & Maintenance Ltd

Roall Lane

Kellington

North Yorkshire

DN14 0NY

01977 663111 tel

dan@rpmltd.co.uk

www.rpmltd.co.uk

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