ABRASION RESISTANCE OF BRIDGE PAINTS FOR USE IN ALASKA - FIELD AND LABORATORY TESTS EVALUATED

FINDINGS FROM A STUDY OF THE RESISTANCE OF PAINT SYSTEMS TO ABRASION IN THE ALASKA COPPER RIVER DELTA AREA ARE REPORTED IN THIS ARTICLE. THE STUDY WAS INSTITUTED BECAUSE OF THE RAPID AND PREMATURE FAILURE OF A CONVENTIONAL HIGHWAY PAINT SYSTEM APPLIED TO OLD RAILROAD BRIDGES MODIFIED FOR HIGHWAY USE AS PART OF THE COPPER RIVER HIGHWAY-EDGERTON CUTOFF. TESTS WERE MADE TO DETERMINE THE MOST SUITABLE PAINT SYSTEM FOR THIS AREA WHERE IT MUST RESIST ABRASION FROM EXTREMELY LARGE AMOUNTS OF AEOLIAN SAND, SILT, AND ICE CRYSTALS CARRIED BY WINDS HAVING HIGH VELOCITIES, AS MUCH AS 90 M.P.H. A FIELD STUDY AND ACCELERATED LABORATORY ABRASION TEST WERE MADE TO EVALUATE NINE DIFFERENT PAINT SYSTEMS. THE SUPERIORITY OF A CATALYZED POLYSULFIDE PAINT SYSTEM WAS DEMONSTRATED BY RESULTS OF THE FIELD STUDY AND CONFIRMED BY THE LABORATORY TESTS. THE OTHER PAINT SYSTEMS EVALUATED WERE COAL TAR, DRYING OIL, ALKYD, VINYL, EPOXY ESTER, ZINC-RICH INORGANIC, NEOPRENE, AND A CONVENTIONAL RED LEAD PRIMER AND ALUMINUM VARNISH SYSTEM. LABORATORY CONFIRMATION WAS NEEDED TO ASSESS THE VALIDITY OF THE FIELD FINDINGS AS THE THICKNESSES FOR THE APPLIED PAINT SYSTEMS VARIED CONSIDERABLY IN THE FIELD STUDY. THE LABORATORY TESTS CONFIRMED THAT THE POLYSULFIDE COATING WAS INHERENTLY MORE RESISTANT TO ABRASION THAN THE OTHER PAINTS WHEN COMPARABLE FILM THICKNESSES WERE TESTED. THE AUTHOR RECOMMENDS THAT A CATALYZED LIQUID POLYSULFIDE RUBBER COATING REPLACE THE ORDINARY RED LEAD PRIMER AND ALUMINUM VARNISH PAINT SYSTEM FOR MAINTENANCE OF STEEL BRIDGES EXPOSED TO THE EXTREME ABRASIVE FORCES PREVALENT IN THE COPPER RIVER DELTA OF ALASKA. HE RECOMMENDS THAT THE DRY COATING THICKNESSES BE LIMITED TO 12 TO 15 MILS AND SUGGESTS THAT INCORPORATION OF A RUST-INHIBITIVE PRIMER WOULD IMPROVE THE RESISTANCE OF THE PAINT SYSTEM TO CORROSION. /RRL/A/

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/oclc/1586080
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Vol33, No10, PP201-213, 14TAB, 21PHOT, 4REF
• Authors:
  • Chaiken, B
• Publication Date: 1965-10

Media Info

• Serial:
  • Public Roads
  • Publisher: Federal Highway Administration
  • ISSN: 0033-3735
  • Serial URL: https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/publicroads/
• Publication flags:

  Open Access (libre)

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Abrasion resistant coatings; Abrasion tests; Abrasions; Alkyd resins; Aluminum; Bridges; Coal tars; Epoxides; Esters; Evaluation; Field tests; Laboratory tests; Neoprene; Paint; Polyvinyl chloride; Rubber coatings; Systems; Varnish
• Geographic Terms: Alaska; Copper River Delta (Alaska)
• Old TRIS Terms: Alkyd; Catalyzed polysulfide paint; Drying oils; Epoxy; Red lead; Resistance; Varnishes; Zinc-rich inorganic
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Geotechnology; Highways; Maintenance and Preservation; Materials;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00216042
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Road Research Laboratory /UK
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Aug 12 1970 12:00AM