06.13.23
Top honors in the 2022 Sherwin-Williams Impact Award program went to a project relining a half-century-old penstock that will double the life of this critical piece of infrastructure that contributes to the production of clean energy at the Don Pedro Dam in Northern California.
The Impact Awards recognize exceptional projects that feature high-performance coating and lining materials from Sherwin-Williams Protective & Marine.
The winning project featured a brave crew of applicators and engineers from coating and specialty contractor F.D. Thomas. Facing difficult conditions, lead containment needs and steep inclines, the crew relined the 16.5-foot-diameter penstock – with some portions installed at a 53-degree angle.
Tucked inside a 16.5-foot-diameter enclosed pipe 300 feet below ground, a brave crew of applicators and engineers faced difficult conditions – from lead containment protection measures to steep inclines – to reline a 50-year-old penstock for the Turlock and Modesto Irrigation Districts (TID and MID).
Their effort will enable the penstock to operate reliably for another 50 years, doubling the life of this crucial element of the Don Pedro Dam and enabling the dam’s hydroelectric power plant to continue serving Northern California’s carbon-free clean energy needs.
The challenging project required a contractor team that wasn’t afraid of working inside a nearly quarter-mile length of steel-lined penstock with a 53-degree angle drop midway in the system. This configuration would require special rigging so workers could perform activities from a suspended scaffolding system.
The crew would also have brief working windows of just 45 days each over two calendar years to rehabilitate 1,300 feet of pipe, including removing a thick coal tar epoxy with a red lead-based primer from every square inch of the pipe walls and then prepping, cleaning and relining the structure.
Few contractors are up to this sort of challenge. In fact, the owners of the Don Pedro Project sought proposals from 15 heavy industry coating contractors but received just one bid – from coating and specialty contractor F.D. Thomas (FDT). This can-do attitude resulted in a newly relined and restored penstock featuring a durable epoxy lining that’s expected to double the penstock’s service life to at least 100 years.
Anticipating another 50 years of service life for the restored penstock, TID and MID specified the use of a durable ultra-high-solids epoxy amine lining, Sherwin-Williams Sherplate PW epoxy. The coating has a high film-build capability, as well as high edge-retention capabilities, enabling it to be used for stripe coating welds, edges and corners before completing full lining applications. In addition, it contains no solvents, which was critical for maintaining air quality in the pipe and meeting confined space entry requirements for the job.
Applicators were able to spray-apply the lining in one pass, building the coating to a minimum thickness of 30 mils dry film thickness (DFT) to ensure long-term protection.
The runner-up project for the 2022 awards went to a collaborative project between two public water and wastewater utilities that installed a mile-long water main through a tunnel bored under the Ben Sawyer Intracoastal Waterway in South Carolina’s low country.
Conducted by Mount Pleasant Waterworks, Charleston Water System and others, the project fortified and added redundancy, pressure and quality to the water network of a coastal area with a growing population. More than 5,000 linear feet of steel pipe coated with cross-linked layers of a fusion-bonded epoxy and abrasion resistant overcoat was inserted underground at a maximum depth of 90 feet under a marshy wetland.
To install a nearly mile-long new water transmission line linking the Charleston Water System’s existing line on Sullivan’s Island to a nearby Mount Pleasant Waterworks-owned water main, the project team had a big obstacle in their way – the Ben Sawyer Intracoastal Waterway.
Adding this critical piece of infrastructure under the environmentally sensitive habitat along the coast of South Carolina required extreme care to protect both the environment from harm and the pipe itself from damage during installation and operation.
Environmental considerations and obstacles limited the use of heavy equipment in the protected wetland and eliminated the option of placing the pipeline in an open trench that would be backfilled. Instead, contractors from Quality Enterprises USA, Inc. used horizontal directional drilling (HDD), also known as directional boring, to bore under the waterway and pull the pre-assembled pipe through.
At a maximum depth of 90 feet, the bored tunnel required more than 5,000 linear feet of pipe to traverse the waterway. In total, the project included around 430 linear feet of 16-inch ductile iron pipe (DIP), 92 linear feet of 12-inch DIP, and 5,180 linear feet of 18-inch steel water main.
The project team needed an exterior coating system for the steel pipe that would protect against corrosion, that could handle the harsh environment inherent to underground service – and that could be trusted to remain effective despite incurring inevitable damage while the pipe was pulled through the nearly-mile-long hole. The coatings also needed to offer flexibility for the pipe installation, while not cracking or allowing the penetration of moisture.
To prepare the pipes for coating applications, industrial contractor MCIP Industrial Enterprises Corp. used an SSPC SP-10 blast on both the inside (ID) and outside diameter (OD) of each pipe. Next, applicators moved each pipe into the application booth to be coated inside and out.
For the interior coating, MCIP applied Sherplate PW liquid epoxy, a 100% solids epoxy that met the minimum 25-mil DFT requirements in a single pass, using automated sprayers. The ultra-high solids epoxy amine coating is engineered for immersion service in potable water pipes and provides superior protection.
The exterior of the pipes received a near simultaneous spray of 20 mils dry film thickness (DFT) of PipeClad 2000 FBE (Fusion-Bonded Epoxy) coating, followed immediately by a 40-mil DFT coat of PipeClad 2040 Flex ARO (Abrasion Resistant Overcoat). The rapid succession of the coating applications helped to create a stronger interlocking bond between the two layers.
The dual-layer powder system provided extremely robust protective coatings to the outside of pipes to stave off corrosion and prevent damage through storage, transit, construction and service.
As part of the project’s phased implementation, the water main was staged and welded along a municipal road, before placing the entire line underground. For the exterior girth welds, the installation crew applied 60 mils of PipeClad 5000 liquid epoxy by brush and roller. Quick-drying and offering a fast return to service and excellent adhesion to prepared steel, PipeClad 5000 is a two-component, ultra-high solids, amine-cured epoxy, engineered specifically to deliver long-term corrosion resistance, as well as high-impact and abrasion resistance and temperature resistance to below-grade underground utilities and other infrastructure.
The interior girth welds received 25 mils DFT of Sherplate PW liquid epoxy. Applicators used a remote blast head to first clean the interior welds and hold back areas, followed by using a remote sprayer to line these areas. As a user- and application-friendly epoxy, Sherplate PW helped applicator achieve a high-quality finish in a single coat – offering efficiency and time and cost savings.
The 2022 honorable mention project provides insight into how water tank interiors can be recoated to comply with new national potable water standards. Looking to extend the life of the Norma Marshall Reservoir, a nearly 40-year-old, 4.8-million-gallon aboveground steel reservoir, Rancho California Water District officials in southern California opted for a 100% solids epoxy system to replace existing polyurethane- and epoxy-based linings.
The refurbishment of the Rancho California Water District’s Normal Marshall Reservoir in southern California provides a glimpse into the future of interior water tank linings. While the interior roofs and rafters of most ground storage reservoir tanks are coated with multi-coat systems, the tank’s owner saw the value in using Sherplate PW, a 100% solids epoxy that can be applied in one high-build coat, for the entire interior of the tank to extend its service life. The material will provide corrosion resistance for critical areas of the nearly 40-year-old 4.8-million-gallon above-ground welded steel tank.
Constructed in 1982, the welded steel ground storage reservoir had last been recoated in 2008 using a unique hybrid 100% solids elastomeric polyurethane system for the roof and rafters, with an epoxy on the bottom plate and floor. The district had faced issues of delamination, blistering and deterioration of the coatings, particularly the polyurethane, which compromised the integrity and, potentially, the longevity of the steel tank.
Removing old coatings from the roof proved challenging, leading Bakersfield, CA-based contractor Advanced Industrial Services, Inc. to use air-powered chippers to get under the coating and remove it. Using recyclable abrasive steel grit 25, crewmembers next dry blasted all interior tank surfaces to the SSPC-SP 10 standard – leaving the surface free of coatings and residues with a minimum 2-mil profile to promote adhesion.
Applicators next brushed a stripe coat of Dura-Plate UHS Primer, at 4 to 8 mils DFT, onto all weld seams, edges, angles, bolts and other critical areas. A two-component, ultra-high-solids epoxy amine, the primer offered ease of application and provided excellent surface wetting and adhesion properties, especially over rust pitted steel surfaces. It is recommended for immersion service in a variety of tanks.
All interior reservoir surfaces – including the roof, shell and floor, with edges, nuts, bolts, welds, joints and similar connections – were sprayed with a topcoat of Sherplate PW, a two-component, edge-retentive, low volatile organic compound (VOC)-rated, low odor, ultra-high-solids epoxy amine coating.
Crewmembers applied two coats to the roof and rafters for added protection and one coat to the floor and shell, with each coat applied at a thickness of 24 to 36 mils DFT.
“We are proud to showcase these exceptional projects that help ensure access to clean water and the safe disposal of wastewater,” said Paul Trautmann, marketing director, Water and Wastewater, Sherwin-Williams Protective & Marine. “The Sherwin-Williams Impact Awards exemplify how such projects demonstrate the significant efforts and unwavering commitment of our teams across the U.S. Their creativity and dedication – and their productive relationships with contractors, specifiers and asset owners – help improve public safety and extend the lifespan of infrastructure every day and for years to come.”
A panel of experts from the water industry independently selected the winners for the 2022 Impact Awards. The judges evaluated entries based on various factors, including the complexity of the project, the obstacles surmounted by the participants, the solutions presented to the owner, the level of satisfaction achieved by all parties involved, and the project’s overall uniqueness.
The Impact Awards recognize exceptional projects that feature high-performance coating and lining materials from Sherwin-Williams Protective & Marine.
The winning project featured a brave crew of applicators and engineers from coating and specialty contractor F.D. Thomas. Facing difficult conditions, lead containment needs and steep inclines, the crew relined the 16.5-foot-diameter penstock – with some portions installed at a 53-degree angle.
Tucked inside a 16.5-foot-diameter enclosed pipe 300 feet below ground, a brave crew of applicators and engineers faced difficult conditions – from lead containment protection measures to steep inclines – to reline a 50-year-old penstock for the Turlock and Modesto Irrigation Districts (TID and MID).
Their effort will enable the penstock to operate reliably for another 50 years, doubling the life of this crucial element of the Don Pedro Dam and enabling the dam’s hydroelectric power plant to continue serving Northern California’s carbon-free clean energy needs.
The challenging project required a contractor team that wasn’t afraid of working inside a nearly quarter-mile length of steel-lined penstock with a 53-degree angle drop midway in the system. This configuration would require special rigging so workers could perform activities from a suspended scaffolding system.
The crew would also have brief working windows of just 45 days each over two calendar years to rehabilitate 1,300 feet of pipe, including removing a thick coal tar epoxy with a red lead-based primer from every square inch of the pipe walls and then prepping, cleaning and relining the structure.
Few contractors are up to this sort of challenge. In fact, the owners of the Don Pedro Project sought proposals from 15 heavy industry coating contractors but received just one bid – from coating and specialty contractor F.D. Thomas (FDT). This can-do attitude resulted in a newly relined and restored penstock featuring a durable epoxy lining that’s expected to double the penstock’s service life to at least 100 years.
Anticipating another 50 years of service life for the restored penstock, TID and MID specified the use of a durable ultra-high-solids epoxy amine lining, Sherwin-Williams Sherplate PW epoxy. The coating has a high film-build capability, as well as high edge-retention capabilities, enabling it to be used for stripe coating welds, edges and corners before completing full lining applications. In addition, it contains no solvents, which was critical for maintaining air quality in the pipe and meeting confined space entry requirements for the job.
Applicators were able to spray-apply the lining in one pass, building the coating to a minimum thickness of 30 mils dry film thickness (DFT) to ensure long-term protection.
The runner-up project for the 2022 awards went to a collaborative project between two public water and wastewater utilities that installed a mile-long water main through a tunnel bored under the Ben Sawyer Intracoastal Waterway in South Carolina’s low country.
Conducted by Mount Pleasant Waterworks, Charleston Water System and others, the project fortified and added redundancy, pressure and quality to the water network of a coastal area with a growing population. More than 5,000 linear feet of steel pipe coated with cross-linked layers of a fusion-bonded epoxy and abrasion resistant overcoat was inserted underground at a maximum depth of 90 feet under a marshy wetland.
To install a nearly mile-long new water transmission line linking the Charleston Water System’s existing line on Sullivan’s Island to a nearby Mount Pleasant Waterworks-owned water main, the project team had a big obstacle in their way – the Ben Sawyer Intracoastal Waterway.
Adding this critical piece of infrastructure under the environmentally sensitive habitat along the coast of South Carolina required extreme care to protect both the environment from harm and the pipe itself from damage during installation and operation.
Environmental considerations and obstacles limited the use of heavy equipment in the protected wetland and eliminated the option of placing the pipeline in an open trench that would be backfilled. Instead, contractors from Quality Enterprises USA, Inc. used horizontal directional drilling (HDD), also known as directional boring, to bore under the waterway and pull the pre-assembled pipe through.
At a maximum depth of 90 feet, the bored tunnel required more than 5,000 linear feet of pipe to traverse the waterway. In total, the project included around 430 linear feet of 16-inch ductile iron pipe (DIP), 92 linear feet of 12-inch DIP, and 5,180 linear feet of 18-inch steel water main.
The project team needed an exterior coating system for the steel pipe that would protect against corrosion, that could handle the harsh environment inherent to underground service – and that could be trusted to remain effective despite incurring inevitable damage while the pipe was pulled through the nearly-mile-long hole. The coatings also needed to offer flexibility for the pipe installation, while not cracking or allowing the penetration of moisture.
To prepare the pipes for coating applications, industrial contractor MCIP Industrial Enterprises Corp. used an SSPC SP-10 blast on both the inside (ID) and outside diameter (OD) of each pipe. Next, applicators moved each pipe into the application booth to be coated inside and out.
For the interior coating, MCIP applied Sherplate PW liquid epoxy, a 100% solids epoxy that met the minimum 25-mil DFT requirements in a single pass, using automated sprayers. The ultra-high solids epoxy amine coating is engineered for immersion service in potable water pipes and provides superior protection.
The exterior of the pipes received a near simultaneous spray of 20 mils dry film thickness (DFT) of PipeClad 2000 FBE (Fusion-Bonded Epoxy) coating, followed immediately by a 40-mil DFT coat of PipeClad 2040 Flex ARO (Abrasion Resistant Overcoat). The rapid succession of the coating applications helped to create a stronger interlocking bond between the two layers.
The dual-layer powder system provided extremely robust protective coatings to the outside of pipes to stave off corrosion and prevent damage through storage, transit, construction and service.
As part of the project’s phased implementation, the water main was staged and welded along a municipal road, before placing the entire line underground. For the exterior girth welds, the installation crew applied 60 mils of PipeClad 5000 liquid epoxy by brush and roller. Quick-drying and offering a fast return to service and excellent adhesion to prepared steel, PipeClad 5000 is a two-component, ultra-high solids, amine-cured epoxy, engineered specifically to deliver long-term corrosion resistance, as well as high-impact and abrasion resistance and temperature resistance to below-grade underground utilities and other infrastructure.
The interior girth welds received 25 mils DFT of Sherplate PW liquid epoxy. Applicators used a remote blast head to first clean the interior welds and hold back areas, followed by using a remote sprayer to line these areas. As a user- and application-friendly epoxy, Sherplate PW helped applicator achieve a high-quality finish in a single coat – offering efficiency and time and cost savings.
The 2022 honorable mention project provides insight into how water tank interiors can be recoated to comply with new national potable water standards. Looking to extend the life of the Norma Marshall Reservoir, a nearly 40-year-old, 4.8-million-gallon aboveground steel reservoir, Rancho California Water District officials in southern California opted for a 100% solids epoxy system to replace existing polyurethane- and epoxy-based linings.
The refurbishment of the Rancho California Water District’s Normal Marshall Reservoir in southern California provides a glimpse into the future of interior water tank linings. While the interior roofs and rafters of most ground storage reservoir tanks are coated with multi-coat systems, the tank’s owner saw the value in using Sherplate PW, a 100% solids epoxy that can be applied in one high-build coat, for the entire interior of the tank to extend its service life. The material will provide corrosion resistance for critical areas of the nearly 40-year-old 4.8-million-gallon above-ground welded steel tank.
Constructed in 1982, the welded steel ground storage reservoir had last been recoated in 2008 using a unique hybrid 100% solids elastomeric polyurethane system for the roof and rafters, with an epoxy on the bottom plate and floor. The district had faced issues of delamination, blistering and deterioration of the coatings, particularly the polyurethane, which compromised the integrity and, potentially, the longevity of the steel tank.
Removing old coatings from the roof proved challenging, leading Bakersfield, CA-based contractor Advanced Industrial Services, Inc. to use air-powered chippers to get under the coating and remove it. Using recyclable abrasive steel grit 25, crewmembers next dry blasted all interior tank surfaces to the SSPC-SP 10 standard – leaving the surface free of coatings and residues with a minimum 2-mil profile to promote adhesion.
Applicators next brushed a stripe coat of Dura-Plate UHS Primer, at 4 to 8 mils DFT, onto all weld seams, edges, angles, bolts and other critical areas. A two-component, ultra-high-solids epoxy amine, the primer offered ease of application and provided excellent surface wetting and adhesion properties, especially over rust pitted steel surfaces. It is recommended for immersion service in a variety of tanks.
All interior reservoir surfaces – including the roof, shell and floor, with edges, nuts, bolts, welds, joints and similar connections – were sprayed with a topcoat of Sherplate PW, a two-component, edge-retentive, low volatile organic compound (VOC)-rated, low odor, ultra-high-solids epoxy amine coating.
Crewmembers applied two coats to the roof and rafters for added protection and one coat to the floor and shell, with each coat applied at a thickness of 24 to 36 mils DFT.
“We are proud to showcase these exceptional projects that help ensure access to clean water and the safe disposal of wastewater,” said Paul Trautmann, marketing director, Water and Wastewater, Sherwin-Williams Protective & Marine. “The Sherwin-Williams Impact Awards exemplify how such projects demonstrate the significant efforts and unwavering commitment of our teams across the U.S. Their creativity and dedication – and their productive relationships with contractors, specifiers and asset owners – help improve public safety and extend the lifespan of infrastructure every day and for years to come.”
A panel of experts from the water industry independently selected the winners for the 2022 Impact Awards. The judges evaluated entries based on various factors, including the complexity of the project, the obstacles surmounted by the participants, the solutions presented to the owner, the level of satisfaction achieved by all parties involved, and the project’s overall uniqueness.
