Have you ever given the coating of a bridge any thought? Have you ever questioned if the paint is a regular household paint or if it was painted only to add color to the bridge? In reality, a bridge’s integrity and longevity depend on the quality of its paint.
Paint used for bridge coating helps stop the corrosion of the bridge by using a much denser paint system with many more layers than you’d use on your house. A bridge coating service in Austin aids in protecting our country’s bridges and preserving their lives, much as you would wear clothing and sunscreen to fend off the heat and other environmental factors.
Understanding the Bridge Coating Process
A bridge must be coated carefully and in several steps. At places like 1 Priority Coating & Bridge Painting, experts often work with pre-existing bridge coatings, and risk reduction is important to them. They evaluate and discuss coating life and performance under various environmental conditions.
They first conduct an examination to assess the state of the current coating system and the degree of any corrosion. A blast hose is then used to remove the old coating. This is a high-air pressure-powered hose that drives an abrasive material against the surface to remove the current coating and produce a surface profile to attach the new coating.
Applying the New Coat
Several variables, including temperature, dew point, relative humidity, wind, and the surface temperature of the bridge, must be balanced when the new coating is applied. This helps experts to decide when to start painting, how long to let each coat dry before adding the next, and how long the coating must cure before it can be overcoated.
The choice of colors is very important. The choice is ultimately up to the bridge owner or the general public. However, a bridge coating service in Austin normally suggests colors that complement the history or the environment, such as blue for a bridge over or near water, brown for a bridge in a forested region, or black for bridges along a rail system.
