Corroding steel on an existing facility had been a past problem for the Town of Perinton, New York. When plans were made for the development of the Perinton Natatorium, the owners insisted that all structural steel be galvanized in order to negate any concern of future corrosion. Herrick and Saylor Engineers went one step further to ensure lasting performance of the natatorium: they made sure that Tnemec was specified for the job.
Structural steel that is hot-dip galvanized puts a molten coating of zinc on the steel, which provides great cathodic protection to the steel substrate but also creates a bit of a challenge for coating. “We worked with a blasting and painting shop to lightly sweep sandblast the galvanized steel in order to create a uniform profile, but also being careful not to remove the galvanizing,” explained Tnemec coating consultant Dan Fricano.
The coating system included a shop-applied prime coat of Series 161 Tneme-Fascure, a polyamide epoxy known for its fast recoat capabilities, and a field-applied intermediate coat of Series 66 Hi-Build Epoxoline, a polyamide epoxy. Series 66 was also used as the prime coat for the galvanized deck. A finish coat of Series 73 Endura-Shield, a two-component aliphatic acrylic polyurethane, was airless spray-applied to the galvanized steel and metal deck. Series 73 provided the resistance required for the increased humidity environment of the natatorium.
The concrete block walls in the natatorium and locker room areas were brush- and roller-applied with Series 130 Envirofill, a waterborne cementitious acrylic block filler, followed by one coat of Series 84 Ceramlon ENV, a ceramic-like, high-solids epoxy coating providing excellent protection and easy cleaning.
“The process worked well on this facility,” said Fricano. “The owners remain very pleased with the results.”