CLEANING AND PAINTING OF

STRUCTURAL STEEL

THE BASICS
CORROSION
WHAT - gradual destruction of a metal or alloy by
chemical or electrochemical reaction.

WHY - metals are in an unstable state.

HOW electrons travel from a negative area (anode) of
the metal to a positive area (cathode) through an external
conductive intermediate (electrolyte) and then returns to
the anode through the metal itself to complete the
corrosion cell.
SURFACE PREPARATION
Pre-Cleaning
(removal of surface contaminants)

Cleaning

Profiling
SURFACE PREPARATION
Why is it so important?
Poor surface preparation is
the most frequent cause of
premature coatings failure.

Surface preparation is the
most expensive operation
of a painting project.
PRE CLEANING
Abnormalities
STEEL
Remove sharp edges, weld splatter

CONCRETE
Patch, Caulk

PRE CLEANING
Surface Contaminants
Types
Loose Rust
Loose Paint
Salts
Dirt and Dust
Oil and grease
Chalk
Efflorescence (cement only)
Latence (cement only)

Removal Methods
Solvents
Steam
Potable Pressurized Water
CLEANING
HAND TOOLS (Stainless Steel or Aluminum)
POWER TOOLS
VACUUM POWER TOOLS
ABRASIVE BLASTING
SAND
RECYCLABLE STEEL SHOT AND GRIT
SLAG (Black Beauty)
SPONGE
WATER BLASTING OR JETTING
CHEMICAL STRIPPING
DEGREE OF CLEANILINESS
SSPC SURFACE PREPARATION STANDARDS

SP1 Solvent Cleaning
SP2 Hand Tool Cleaning
SP3 Power Tool Cleaning
SP5 White Metal Blast (NACE 1)
SP6 Commercial Blast (NACE 3)
SP7 Brush-Off Blast (NACE 4)
SP10 Near White Blast (NACE 2)
SP12 High and Ultrahigh (NACE 5)
Pressure Water Jetting
Kinds of Abrasive
COPPER SLAG.
CONTAMINATED
COPPER SLAG.
GARNET.
METALLIC GRIT
METALLIC SHOT
METALLIC GRIT AND
SHOT MIX.

PROFILE
(ANCHOR PATTERN)
CORRECT


TOO DEEP


TOO ROUND
PROFILE
(ANCHOR PATTERN)
FOUR FACTORS DETERMINE THE SHAPE AND
DEPTH OF THE PROFILE OF BLASTED SURFACES

1. Size of the Particle
2. Shape of the Particle
3. Hardness of the Particle
4. Velocity of the Particle
PAINTING
Since freshly blasted surfaces are subjected
to immediate corrosion, particularly areas of
high humidity or salt atmospheres such as
marine environments, no more surfaces
shall be blast cleaned than can be primed
coated before visible or detrimental re-
rusting occurs. Blasted surfaces shall be
prime coated no later than the end of the
same workday.
PAINTING
Oil, grease, salt deposits, soil dust or foreign matter deposited on the surface after
surface preparation has been completed shall be removed prior to painting. If
rusting occurs after completion of surface preparation, the surface shall be re-
cleaned in accordance with the original method.
Paint can be applied by one, or a combination of the following methods:
1. Brushing
2. Roller Coating
3. Air Spraying
4. Airless spraying
5. Paint mitt ( for small-diameter piping and similar applications)
The method of application shall be governed by the paint material Manufacturers
recommendations for particular paint being applied. For general application
techniques, requirements and precautions, SSPC PA1 shall be used as reference. A
strip coat shall be applied to all welds, corners, and edges after the application of
prime coat and before the next full coat. The strip coat shall be brushed or rolled.

PAINT DEFECTS
PAINT FAULTS, BITTINESS
INCLUSIONS, EITHER
AIRBORN OR FROM
THE PAINT ITSELF.
COULD BE PARTIALLY
CURED PAINT, OUT
OF SHELF LIFE.
COATING FAULTS BLEEDING
THE SOLVENT FROM
THE TOP COAT
SOFTENS THE UNDER
LYING MATERIAL
AND ALLOWS IT TO
PASS INTO AND
THROUGH THE
LAYER, CAUSING
DISCOLOURATION.
BROWN FOR
BITUMEN, YELLOW
FOR COAL TARS.
COATING FAULTS BLISTERING
BLISTERS CAN BE FILLED WITH GAS,
LIQUID OR CRYSTALS
COATING FAULTS CHALKING
DEGRADATION OF A
BINDER DUE TO
DISRUPTIVE FACTORS
IN THE ENVIRONMENT
COATING FAULTS CISSING
CAUSED BY
INADEQUATE
SURFACE
PREPARATION.
A DIFFERENCE IN
SURFACE ENERGY
CAUSES LOCAL LACK OF
ADHESION.
COATING FAULTS CRACKING
COATING AGE AND
DIFFERENTIAL
EXPANSION
COATING FAULTS CRATERING
BOWL SHAPED
DEPRESSIONS. CAUSED
BY ESCAPING SOLVENT
OR GASES. PAINT IS OF
TOO LOW A VISCOSITY
TO FLOW AND FILL THE
DEPRESSIONS
COATING FAULTS CURTAINS, SAGS, RUNS AND TEARS
CAUSED BY OVER
APPLICATION. REMOVE
OFFENDING EXCESS
MATERIAL, LIGHTLY
ABRADE, RECOAT.
COATING FAULTS FLAKING
MATERIAL
PROGRESSIVELY
GETS BRITTLE WITH
AGE, CRACKS AND
BEGINS TO DETACH
COATING FAULTS HOLIDAYS
DEFINED AS BEING :-
A VOID, A MISS, OR
AN UNCOATED AREA
COATING FAULTS LIFTING
CAUSED BY SOLVENT STRENGTH AND ALSO LACK OF
OBSERVANCE OF STATED OVERCOATING TIME
ORANGE PEEL
SIMILAR
APPEARANCE TO A
CITRUS FRUIT SKIN
CAUSED BY PAINT
VISCOSITY PROBLEMS
OR BY APPLICATOR
TECHNIQUE
COATING FAULTS ROPINESS
BRUSHMARKS
Kinds of Testing
Holiday Test
The Holitech DC Holiday Detector
tests and detects pinholes and flaws
in insulated coatings on conductive
substrates.
Operation is by a test voltage being
applied to the coating by moving a
brush electrode across the surface
and where there is either a pinhole
or flaw, the voltage will spark
through the coating, a red indicator
will flash and an audible alarm will
sound. The detected flaw can be
marked for subsequent repair, and
testing resumed for the remaining
surface area.

DFT
Dry Film Thickness is a critical measurement in the coating
application process. It provides vital information as to the expected life
of the substrate, the products fitness for purpose, its appearance and
ensures compliance with a host of International Standards.

Quality systems, such as those described in ISO 9000, ISO 17025 and
Guide 25, require that gauges be properly controlled, logged and in
calibration. Increasingly, users are specifying that the readings taken
by gauges are traceable to National Standards.

DFT
Digital coating
thickness gauges are
the most widely used
due to their high level
of accuracy and they
can be used to
measure the coating
thickness on almost
any substrate, whether
ferrous or non-ferrous

ADHESION TEST
Tape Test
The X-cut tape test is primarily intended
for use at job sites. Using a sharp razor
blade, scalpel, knife or other cutting
device, two cuts are made into the coating
with a 30 45 degree angle between legs
and down to the substrate which
intersects to form an X. A steel or other
hard metal straightedge is used to ensure
straight cuts. Tape is placed on the center
of the intersection of the cuts and then
removed rapidly. The X-cut area is then
inspected for removal of coating from the
substrate or previous coating and rated.

Pull-Off Test
A more quantitative test for
adhesion is the pull-off test where a
loading fixture, commonly called a
dolly or stub, is affixed by an
adhesive to a coating. By use of a
portable pull-off adhesion tester, a
load is increasingly applied to the
surface until the dolly is pulled off.
The force required to pull the dolly
off or the force the dolly withstood,
yields the tensile strength in pounds
per square inch (psi) or mega
Pascals (MPa). Failure will occur
along the weakest plane within the
system comprised of the dolly,
adhesive, coating system, and
substrate, and will be exposed by
the fracture surface

Inspection Check Points
Pre-Surface Preparation
Examples of inspection check points
Contractor submittals
Surface preparation media
Coatings materials
Containment and ventilation
Waste management
Surface contamination
Oil, grease and debris
Soluble salts

Post Surface Preparation
Examples of inspection check points
Ambient conditions
Surface preparation media
Removal of surface contamination
Surface cleanliness
Surface profile
Surface imperfections
Waste management

Coating Application
Examples of inspection check points
Coatings materials
Mixing, thinning and straining
Ambient conditions
Wet film thickness
Coatings application defects
Performed for each coating applied
Post Coating Application
Examples of inspection check points
Coating thickness
Ambient conditions
Recoat window/free of contamination
Performed for each coating applied

Post Curing of Coating
Examples of inspection check points
Coating application defects (each coat)
Dry film thickness (each coat)
Pinhole/holiday detection
(buried/immersion service)

Final Inspection
Examples of inspection check points
Repair and touch-up
Waste removal
Site restoration
Verification of corrective action
implementation