COATED GUARD RAIL SOLVES MAINTENANCE PROBLEM

A NEW COATING SYSTEM HAS BEEN APPLIED TO NINE MILES OF RUSTED AND CORRODED GUARD RAIL ON THE CHICAGO SKYWAY, WHICH CONNECTS THE INDIANA TOLL ROAD WITH DOWNTOWN CHICAGO. THE COATING CONSISTS OF A BITUMINOUS BASE COAT PLUS A TOP COAT OF WITCOGARD COLORED CERAMIC GRANULES. PRIOR TO APPLICATION, RAIL SURFACES WERE CLEANED BY COMMERCIAL SAND BLASTING AND WITH WIRE SCRAPERS AND BRUSHES TO REMOVE RUST, LOOSE SCALE, AND FLAKING PAINT. THE APPLICATION WAS A TWO-STEP PROCEDURE IN WHICH THE BITUMINOUS BASE COAT WAS APPLIED DIRECTLY FROM DRUMS WITH THE USE OF A 30:1 RATIO AIRLESS PUMPS AND SPRAY GUN EQUIPMENT, AND THE SELF-CLEANING CERAMIC GRANULES WERE THEN APPLIED BY MODIFIED SANDBLASTING EQUIPMENT BEFORE THE BASE COAT DRIED. THE AIRLESS SPRAY-A NEW TECHNIQUE IN THE APPLICATION OF WITCOGARD COATINGS-WAS EMPLOYED IN LAYING DOWN THE BITUMINOUS UNDERCOAT. SEVERAL ADVANTAGES ARE CITED FOR THE AIRLESS SPRAY TECHNIQUE: MATERIAL CAN BE APPLIED MORE RAPIDLY, BOUNCE IS ELIMINATED, THE SPRAYING AREA CAN BE CONTROLLED MORE ACCURATELY, AND UNIFORMITY AND OTHER SURFACE CHARACTERISTICS SUCH AS PARTICLE DISPERSION ARE IMPROVED. THE COATINGS HAVE WITHSTOOD THE EFFECTS OF SALT, AND PROVIDED ATTRACTIVE, GLARE-FREE SUBSTANCES THAT SEALED OUT RAIN, SNOW, ROAD SPRAY, AND SUNLIGHT. RESISTANCE TO ABRASION HAS BEEN ANOTHER ADVANTAGE OF THIS COATING. DIFFERENT COLORED GRANULES CAN BE USED IN THE SYSTEM TO A VARIETY OF SHADES. THE WITCOGARD SYSTEM IS RECOMMENDED NOT ONLY AS PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE FOR EXISTING GUARD RAILS THAT BECOME WEATHERED, RUSTED OR DISCOLORED, BUT ALSO AS ECONOMICAL COATINGS FOR NEW INSTALLATIONS.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Vol 5, No 10, PP 32-33, 57, 4 PHOT
• Publication Date: 1967-10

Media Info

• Serial:
  • Rural and Urban Roads

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Abrasion resistant coatings; Bituminous bases; Blast cleaning; Ceramic materials; Cleaning; Coatings; Glare; Granular materials; Guardrails; Maintenance; Roadbuilding machinery; Sprays (Materials)
• Old TRIS Terms: Base coats; Scraping
• Subject Areas: Geotechnology; Highways; Maintenance and Preservation; Materials;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00216246
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jan 24 1994 12:00AM