Steel pipes and tubes manufacturer Robor’s galvanising division, Robor Galvanizers, has had the anticor- rosion system at its galvanising plant replaced.

It contracted coatings industry specialist R&D Contracting to do the work.

The existing anticorrosion system, comprising a wrap manufactured by corrosion protection and sealing technology provider Denso, was many years past its optimal life span.

Following a thorough study of the situation, R&D Contracting decided to tackle the project using the same Denso product, as it believes Denso’s products offer excellent corrosion resistance and longevity, as well as long-term resistance to a range of aggressive chemical agents.

Moreover, it believes the Denso product’s dense, multilayer system provides an increased life span, as well as resistance to mechanical damage, something that is inevitable in a hardworking industrial environment.

The first complication faced by R&D Contracting in undertaking the project was the fact that no drawings were available for the plant, which meant the company had to manually measure all the structural steel, purlins, braces and rafters prior to treatment.

This was necessary to make an accurate decision on which sections needed replacement and to develop a solid project plan that would allow the contractors to concurrently resolve various other challenges.

umerous challenges arose as the project progressed. For example, it was discovered that there were many areas exposed to regular accidental impacts from steel loads of up to 5 t; these impacts were damaging the newly installed Denso coating.

R&D Contracting came up with a simple and cost-effective countermeasure – using recycled plastic sleepers as buffers.

The sleepers absorb heavy impacts and protect the Denso wrapping from mechanical damage.

Other challenges involved the safety risks, material movement, access obstacles and ongoing site variations, since the plant remained in operation throughout the project.

To overcome the various issues, the company took an approach that combined standard scaffolding in areas with little or no activity and the use of rope access technicians for isolated access areas.

Moreover, the company had to design, source and install a safety net system that would allow workers to safely work over baths of molten metal and acid, as well as active buzz bars with moving cranes, trains and other heavy equipment.

Further, the installation teams had to be specially trained to prepare the structural steel by removing all corrosion and unserviceable Denso wrapping.

Other on-site challenges that had to be overcome included building work, excavation, structural changes and additional product application and repairs.

R&D Contracting attributes its success on this project to many factors, including bringing in various consulting specialists as required, changing project schedules and shifts when necessary and training or hiring additional staff to complete unplanned-for scopes.

In addition, the company had direct top management involvement in all aspects of the project throughout the project life cycle, especially considering that the production line is the largest of its kind in Southern Africa, it says.

The company adds that it is proud of the fact that it met client deadlines and dealt effectively with unexpected events and challenges, while not compromising on the client’s best interests or the safety of workers at the plant.