Repairing & protective

coating system for

cooling tower

SP CONCARE PVT. LTD.

Email: admin@spconcare.com
Tel: +91 233 2313197
Website: www.spconcare.com
Chintamani Nagar, Sangli.
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Background
Cooling tower is a device which helps to dissipate heat created due to machinery or heated
process material. This heat is usually dissipated in form of vapors which may pass over RCC
members. Concrete being porous in nature may absorb this vapor bombarding over it.
After absorption in concrete and upon cooling, these vapors condense into water.

When this water encounters reinforcement present in concrete member, sets up a corrosion
cell and start corroding reinforcement. Due to further vapor absorption and corrosion cycles,
corrosion products start accumulating over steel reinforcement and induces expansive forces
over surrounding concrete. As we know that concrete is brittle in nature and has low tensile
strength, it starts to develop cracks in the area surrounding reinforcement. This cracking is
known as facture of concrete as shown in fig. 1

Fig. 1: - Facture of concrete

Due to this fractures and further corrosion, stay may come at which this factured concrete
completely falls off from parent concrete substrate and this is called as spalling. As shown in
fig. 2
It is largely observed in RCC area exposed to cooling tower vapors.
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Fig. 2:- Concrete Spalling

Spalled area and exposed reinforcement ought to be treated properly to regain lost strength of
RCC members and to avoid aesthetical impairment. For cooling towers, conventional paint
used for indoors and outdoors painting should not be opted as it may cause blistering. It
requires specific PU base enable to paint cooling tower and its surrounding with.

If water of cooling tower contains salt or certain type of chemicals, areas of RCC member
submerged in such type of water need to be coated with coal tar epoxy paint to protect
concrete substrate.
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Recommendations
Considering facts mentioned in background, we recommend following methodology for
repairing and protective coating system.

Repairing system
1) Substrate should be cleaned thoroughly to remove any accumulated dust particles and
other contamination.
2) After cleaning, steel reinforcement should be applied with water base rust converter ( SPC
Rustcleen) to convert rust accumulated over steel surface and to form a tough protective
layer of iron phosphate. Once it completes reaction, applied coat must be wiped off using
dry cloth after 10 to 15 minutes.
3) After wiping, steel reinforcement ought to be treated with an epoxy base, two component
zinc rich primer (RIPSTAR ZPR) to protect steel reinforcement from further corrosion cycles.
4) After treating reinforcement, spalled area must be repaired with high strength, shrinkage
compensated thixotropic, fiber reinforced repair mortar (DUROCON 49) at required
application thickness. This type of mortars generally able to build thickness of 50 mm in
single layer.
5) Replastering using cement based ready mixed mortar (DUROCON 554). If aesthetics is not
major concern, it can be omitted.

Protective Coating system

1) RCC members submerged in water should be coated with, pitch extended epoxy coating.
(SMARTSIL 311)
2) RCC members that aren’t submerged in water and exposed to cooling tower vapors
ought to be coated with a two component, Polyurethane base enamel to avoid blistering.
Care must be taken that, at the time of its application moisture content of concrete
substrate should be less than 4%. (SPLANDEK 325)
3) Rest of the concrete area (which hasn’t spalled) must be coated with a single
component, corrosion inhibiting, impregnation Coating (RIPSTAR 109) which penetrates
through concrete and forms a protective layer over embedded steel reinforcement and
thereby prohibits its further corrosion.
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Following are the detailed specifications and corresponding rates of recommended

repairing and protective coating system.
Sr. No Description of Item Unit Rate
A Repairing system
Scaffolding: - Erecting bamboo scaffolding for the ease of
1 material application. Including cost of labours, tools and Sqm 100.00
tackles, equipment.
Surface Preparation: - Cleaning the substrate in order to make
it free from dust, oil or any other contaminant that may impair
adhesion of coatings to be applied over it. Removing
loose/concrete saturated with oil/grease, removing corrosion
2 Sqm 50.00
products over exposed steel reinforcement, etc. Including cost
of labour, tools and tackles, equipment, all leads and lifts etc.,
complete as per manufacturer specification and direction of
Engineer in Charge.
Providing and applying a coat of a single component, water-
based rust converter for rusted steel, SPC RUSTCLEEN at a
coverage rate of 10 sqm/lit. It involves mixing of SPC
RUSTCLEEN with clear water in the 1:3 ratio and applying same
3 by using brush or spray. Including cost of labour, tools and Sqm 130.00
tackles, equipment, all leads and lifts etc., complete as per
manufacturer specification and direction of Engineer in
Charge.
Providing, and applying a coat of an epoxy based, two
component zinc rich primer, RIPSTAR ZPR after wiping rust
converted substrate. It involves mixing of Base and hardener
with drilling machine fitted with mixer and applying same at
4 coverage rate of 5 to 6 sqm/lit by using brush. Including cost of Sqm 200.00
labour, tools and tackles, equipment, all leads and lifts etc.,
complete as per manufacturer specification and direction of
Engineer in Charge.
Providing and applying a high strength, Shrinkage
compensated, Fibre reinforced, Thixotropic, Cementitious
grout, DUROCON 49 at an average thickness of 25 mm. It
involves mixing of power component with water using heavy-
duty, slow speed drill with spiral mixing paddle or a Pan type
5 mixers at W/P ratio of 0.16, applying first layer by gloved hand Sqm 1,450.00
including packing behind the rebars, and then firmly on the
rest to required thickness by using trowel. Including cost of
labour, tools and tackles, equipment, all leads and lifts etc.,
complete as per manufacturer specification and direction of
Engineer In Charge.
B Protective coating system
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Providing and applying High build, pitch extended epoxy

coating, SMARTSIL 311 at coverage rate of 1.8 to 2 Sqm/kg in
two coats. It involves blending of both the components of
1 product using mechanical heavy-duty slow speed drill with Sqm 300.00
spiral mixing paddle until uniform consistency is achieved and
applying it at prescribed coverage in two coats using medium
nap roller or brush.
Providing and applying a two component, Polyurethane based
enamel, SPLANDEK 325 at a coverage rate of 3 Sqm/kg. It
involves blending of both the components of product using
2 mechanical heavy-duty slow speed drill with spiral mixing Sqm 300.00
paddle until uniform consistency is achieved and applying it at
prescribed coverage in two coats using medium nap roller or
brush.
Providing and applying a single component, Penetrating,
corrosion inhibiting, impregnation Coating for concrete
RIPSTAR 109 which has % reduction in corrosion rate of 60 to
3 65 % at a coverage rate of 2.5 to 3 sqm/kg by using brush. Sqm 260.00
Including cost of labour, tools and tackles, equipment, all leads
and lifts etc., complete as per manufacturer specification and
direction of Engineer in Charge.

Note: -
1) Technical properties of specified products and its application methodology are
mentioned in its technical data sheet.
2) Quoted rates are based on certain assumed site conditions, it may vary.