Sitting on more than 650-acres of land overlooking the Tennessee River gorge, Baylor School is a 100-plus-year-old co-educational school for grades 6-12 in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The school boasts a 100-percent college acceptance rate for graduating seniors as well as a remarkable athletic tradition: 17 sports and 74 athletic teams with 110 state championships. In fact, in 2005, Sports Illustrated magazine ranked Baylor as one of the top 25 athletic programs in the country and first in the State of Tennessee.
When it came time to update the school’s swimming facilities – the home to teams that have produced a number of state champions, All-Americans and more college scholarships than any other sport in Baylor’s athletic history – Tnemec coating consultant Tiffany Goulet recommended a number of coatings designed to resist the corrosive nature of chlorine and other chemicals while ensuring long-lasting color and protection.
The natatorium structural steel was prepared in accordance with SSPC-SP6/NACE No. 3 Commercial Blast Cleaning, and primed with Series 90-97 Tneme-Zinc, a two component, zinc-rich urethane, followed by a coat of Series 161 Tneme-Fascure, a corrosion-resistant epoxy. Three coats of Series 161 coated the acoustical decking, providing additional protection against moisture.
Series 84 Ceramlon ENV was specified for the natatorium wall areas. Series 84 is a high-build, ceramic-like epoxy coating providing excellent protection and resistance to abrasion staining and mild chemical fumes.
The locker room ceilings were coated with Series 151-1051 Elasto-Grip FC, a flexible waterborne epoxy, and Series 158 Bio-Lastic, a durable waterborne acrylate specially formulated to resist mildew growth.
Goulet noted that the approach the school and architects took to the design and coatings selection was impressive. “They incorporated a unique touch by adding their school colors onto the air ducts,” she said. “The facility really speaks to the school pride at Baylor.”