Deck plates of marine vessels and oshore topside structures are constantly exposed to a highly corrosive environment, not to mention various forms of mechanical actions.
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Cold Bonding: An Attractive and Convenient Solution for Corroding Marine Vessel Deck Plates Jon Ferrer Belzona - Miami, Florida, USA,
belzona@belzona.com
D
eck plates of marine vessels and oshore topside structures are constantly exposed to a highly corrosive environment, not to
mention various forms of mechanical actions. These erosion-corrosion mechanisms can drastically weaken or diminish the deck strength capacity. Replacing and welding, albeit common repair solutions, are in most cases not feasible. An alternative and innovative polymeric solution can be used to reinforce deck plates by means of a cold bonding technique. This paper will focus on a case study where corrosion, excessive impacts onto the deck laydown area, and poor drainage compromised the integrity of the deck. The client sought a solution which would prevent further corrosion and reinstate larger load capacity on the deck. A cold bonding repair using 100% solids epoxy materials as adhesive was engineered for this application, after a sensible test program proved its adequacy in achieving a resilient solution.
Introduction As vessels and platform structures age, they deteriorate by corrosion and fatigue. External corrosion of the deck has become a major concern for owners and operators. Moreover, considering the various forms of mechanical wear acting upon them, it comes as no surprise that decks require to regularly be repaired or replaced. These erosion-corrosion mechanisms are important for structural strength considerations as they can drastically weaken the deck strength capacity and create unexpected halts in the operation of the vessel/platform. Some of the conventional solutions for repairing or reinstating the load capacity of a deck plate are replacement of the existing deck or welding of additional plates. Deck replacement allows to remove and replace the most corroded sections of the deck plates and replace them with new steel. This solution guarantees a brand-new deck with no overall weight gain to the deck structure, but it is very expensive and time consuming. Additionally, removing the compromised deck plates would expose the infrastructure and machinery beneath the deck, which could include, equipment from the emergency generator room and the engine room. Such unprotected equipment, when exposed to the high corrosive
N.32 - 2019 DECEMBER - ipcm® Protective Coatings
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