Belzona Repairs Cooling Tower

KHIA ID: 9779
Industry: Buildings & Structures (BSTR)
Application: HEX-Heat Exchangers (HEX)
Substrate: Carbon steel
Customer Location: De Soto, KS
Application Date: March 2025
Products: Belzona 3921 (GSC Surface Conditioner),Belzona 5111 (Ceramic Cladding)
Problem: The structural steel of their cooling towers was beginning to erode. Not only was this an eye sore but would be an extensive process to replace.

Several areas of the structural steel were rusting, the customer was concerned about having to replace these down the road.

Rather than spot repair the areas, it was elected to blast and coat the entirety of the steel supports.

Belzona 3921 was sprayed to all areas after a brush blast. Then a coat of Belzona 5111 was sprayed to all the prepared areas.

The finished solution should provide substantially more protection long term than the simple paint that was applied before.

Application Situation
Cheaper to coat than replace any piece of this structure. The Belzona service could be completed anytime and didn't require the towers be taken out of service. Long term protection that wouldn't have to be redone every year.
Application Method
Containment was set up around the cooling towers, and all areas to be coated were grit blasted. After blowing down all surfaces with air to remove any dust or contaminants left behind after sand blasting, a coat of Belzona 3921 GSC was sprayed to the structural components. This not only acted as a conditioner but is enriched with zinc to help prevent corrosion. The following day, a coat of Belzona 5111 Ceramic Cladding was applied to further ensure that this system was sealed and would prevent water and weather from damaging the steel again.
Belzona Facts
The cost of labor to replace even a single piece of this structure for the tower would outweigh the cost of the entire Belzona application. This system should last significantly longer than simply painting the steel and even if areas start to appear or the system life comes to a close, it can be re-applied to bring the structure back to sound operation.
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