Painting of Bridges G.

Radhakrishnan, SE/Bridges/MDU STEEL GIRDERS Maintenance painting scheme is as per IRBM-1998 common to all Zones & Diagram No.53 for respective Zone and new girder painting is as per IRS-B1 specifications. With all that our painting scheme is mainly based on coastal & non-coastal areas. Corrosion map was published in India during the year 1968 and in Southern Railway, the coastal areas were identified & circulated vide HQ Letter No.W.310/5 dt.27.08.86. Present scenario While high corrosion is normally expected in coastal areas, the first phase of the nation-wide survey done during 2005 by NCCI & CECRI has shown that Mettupalayam, a town in interior Tamil Nadu state, is one of the five places in the country where corrosion is "extremely severe." In the case of Mettupalayam, though it is considerably inland, it was found that a combination of rainfall, relative humidity and industrial pollution had been its bane, It contains a warning for other industrialised zones too The four other towns in this "extremely severe" category are Sriharikota, Chennai, Marmugoa and Port Blair - all in the coastal region. Mumbai, Mangalore, Kochi and Tuticorin are places where corrosion is "severe" but not "extreme" while Kanyakumari is among the towns where corrosion is the least. We are revising the painting scheme but not the corrosion prone areas. From the above example, it is essential to revise the corrosion prone areas duly considering not only coastal but also industrial pollution. In addition, top surfaces of bottom flanges of welded girders due to warping, outer flanges of shallow type girders, cross girders & bottom lateral bracings of through type girders due to drop out from carriages and other areas affected to be considered for periodical patch painting. Hence it is essential to revise the scheme of painting and also its periodicity. Diagram No.53 (issued on 17.05.1985) requires amplification due to ban on Paint red lead to IS-102 Withdrawal of Paint red oxide to IS-123 adopting metalizing at site application of epoxy based paints The Bridge Manual, which was published in the year 1998, contains elaborate procedure to be followed for the painting scheme including metalizing & epoxy based painting for bridge girders only. But, Bridge manual alone cannot be referred for the Painting of steel girders because no

mention about the periodicity of painting for which Diagram-53 is required. Scheme for painting of concrete bridges is not finding place in the manual. At this juncture, one circular is needed for reference duly amalgamating the scheme to be followed with periodicity for both steel & concrete girder bridges. To bridge the above gap, the following points may be considered. Painting scheme to be followed for girder bridges can be divided in to four categories. 1. 2. 3. 4. Coastal area: The circular indicating the coastal area may be extended further for highly polluted area mainly due to industrial growth and floor system of through type, semi-through type & shallow type girders. Painting scheme: I. Epoxy based paints. a) Surface preparation by sand blasting b) Painting: (i) Primer coat: Apply by brush / airless spray two coats of epoxy zinc phosphate primer to RDSO specification No. M & C /PCN-102/2009 giving sufficient time gap between two coats to enable first coat of primer to hard dry. (ii) Intermediate coat: Apply by brush/airless spray-one coat of epoxy micaceous iron oxide to RDSO specification No. M & C /PCN-103/2011 allow it to hard dry. iii) Finishing coat: Apply by brush/airless spray two coats of polyurethane aluminium finishing to RDSO Specification No. M & C /PCN110/2006 giving sufficient time gap between two coats to enable the first coat to hard dry. II. Metallising Metallising by spraying with aluminium painting with one coat of ETCH primer to IS.5666 or wash primer to SSPCPT -3537, followed by one coat of Zinc chromate primer to IS.104 and two coats of paint Aluminium to IS.2339 Non-Coastal area where corrosion is severe i) Priming Coat: One coat of ready mixed paint zinc chromate priming to IS: 104 followed by one coat of zinc chrome - red oxide priming to IS: 2074 Coastal area Non-Coastal area where corrosion is severe Noncoastal area where corrosion is not severe Area requires periodical patch painting

ii) Finishing coat: Two coats of aluminium paint to IS: 2339. Non - Coastal area where corrosion is not severe i) Primer coat: One coat of ready mixed paint zinc chromate priming to IS : 104, followed by one coat of ready mixed paint red oxide zinc chrome priming paint to IS : 2074. OR Two coats of zinc chromate red oxide primer to IRS - P 31 ii) Finishing coat: Two cover coats of red oxide paint to IS: 13607 (Revised code for IS 123) CONCRETE GIRDERS No any instructions available to carryout the painting of concrete bridges. The following aspects may be considered in this regard. In Aggressive environment (Severe, Very severe and extreme environment): Sub-structures of bridges - Coal tar epoxy (In affected parts only) Super structures of bridges - Epoxy-Phenolic IPN coating or CECRI Integrated four coat system In non-aggressive environment (Mild and Moderate environment): No coating is necessary. Good dense cover-concrete with good cement content with low water cement ratio and extra depth of cover is enough, Usage of blended cement to make the concrete impermeable Using clean reinforcing bars. CBRI/Roorkee & CECRI/Karaikudi have developed the painting scheme for concrete bridges and any one method can be adopted for our requirement. I. Specification of coating material specified in technical literature on corrosion/carbonisation protection in concrete structures by RDSO (BS88) for IPN coating. Description Base Pot life Curing Colour Shelf Life Dry Primer coat Middle coat Top coat

S. No. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Interpenetrating Interpenetrating Interpenetrating Polymer Polymer (Epoxy Polymer (Epoxy (Aliphatic phenolic) phenolic) Polyurethane) 1 Hour for 2 1 Hour for 2 lt.mix 1 Hour for 2 lt.mix lt.mix Air curing Air curing Air curing Clear Yellow/Grey Yellow/Grey One year in tightly One year in One year in tightly sealed container tightly sealed sealed container One container film 55-65 per coat 90-100 per coat 40-50 per coat

7. 8. II.

thickness (Microns) Coverage Recommended No. of coats

5-6 sq.mt/lt. One

4-5 sq.mt/lt One

6-7 sq.mt/lt One

Epoxy Painting System by CECRI System:

Central Electro-chemical Research Institute at Karaikudi has developed a coating system for controlling corrosion. This system is applied on the concrete surface and helps in controlling carbonation and weathering effects. Primer: Zinc Ethyl Silicate Primer. (Two Pack Inorganic Zinc Coating-Ethyl silicate Binder Pack 1 & Zinc dust powder Pack 2) 65 70 microns per coat. Middle coat: Two Pack epoxy MIO undercoat. This is a high build intermediate coat paint based on epoxy polyamide system formulated with leafy MIO pigments to permit application at DFTs higher than 100 microns. Top coat: This is a two pack polyurethane system consisting of a polyacrylate polyol with appropriate pigments extenders etc. and an aliphatic polyisocyanate ambient curing agent (50 microns per coat). Before application, the substrata is thoroughly cleaned to remove the dust, hardened cement slurry, oily residues etc., by scrubbing with coarse wire brushes, grinding or sweep blasting methods depending on site requirements. Residual amounts of de-moulding agents, curing agents should be completely removed. Any cracks, crevices or surface blemishes should be treated with sealant prior to primer application. The subsequent coats shall be applied by brush or spray with an interval of 24 hours between the two coats. The paint application should aim to achieve minimum dry film thickness as specified by CECRI. The DFT (Dry film thickness) shall be measured on 100x100mm steel plate attached with epoxy on the concrete surface at the rate one per 10m 2. COMPOSITE GIRDERS As per extant instructions, the steel portion of composite girders has to be metalised and specified painting scheme after metalising to be followed Patch painting: With closer interval, the affected portions mainly in steel girders may be painted with local scrapping & painting. This is done departmentally. But, the staff strength of bridge wing has drastically come down and no any in put has been done. So, patch painting, hereafter, can be done thro agency only for which suitable guidelines/clear instructions are required so as to carryout the same with agency