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CASE STUDY

Denso Encapsulates Lead Based Coating on Suspended Pipeline

Exposed Surface Coatings

Project Data

Location Canada
ProductsDenso ColourTape™ and Denso Glass Outerwrap™
Date2015

Just outside of a small town in Northern British Columbia, Canada is a dated railcar bridge that crosses over the Upper Fraser River. The rivers in Northern B.C. are fed primarily by glaciers and run-off from the snow capped peaks of the nearby mountains and supply much of the province with drinking water as well as provide a safe habitat for native fish species such as salmon and sturgeon and are closely monitored for any sources of contamination.

Suspended from the lower deck of the bridge is an oil pipeline that was originally coated with a lead based paint that had begun to flake off and subsequently fall into the pristine fresh-water river. The decision was made to use Steelcoat™ ColourTape to overwrap the existing lead paint in order to encapsulate the pipeline and prevent any further lead contamination of the river, Denso Glass Outerwrap was used to mechanically strengthen the coating system in locations where the pipe was suspended by saddles. Denso Tape was chosen because of its general properties, ease of installation and because of its resistance to ultra-violet rays. This coating system was also chosen because the surface preparation requirement is minimal and allowed the contractor to wrap the pipeline without abrasive blasting and therefore having to forego the immense and costly task of not only involving blast equipment and additional manpower but also structuring a lead containment system to be suspended under the bridge.

Fortunately the existing coating failure was in the very early stages so very little contamination ever entered the waterway. The work was accomplished by building a temporary scaffolding system that was suspended from the bridge allowing workers to access the full length of the pipeline crossing and successfully coat the pipe as the occasional train rattled across the upper deck of the bridge.