Application Situation

Beer wastewater was leaking through the concrete and steel pipe gape into another adjoining tank.

Application Method

The first step was using hand tools much like a grinder with grinding disk and/or a pocketknife to clean the substrates. Then, B-1212 was applied to fill the small void between the concrete tank and stainless-steel pipe by pressing in the paste grade with a Belzona applicator. Following that, a chamfer was created around the 12” Diameter pipe and concrete gap by spreading it up the concrete wall 2” all the way around the pipe and out towards the flange a couple inches. Then, an additional B-1111 paste grade was added to build more material on top of B-1212 to create a thicker substrate along the pipe and to ensure the area is sealed. For added insurance and to give a good chemical resistance since B-1321 S metal is also an approved AB – Budweiser product to come into beer contact (even though this is a waste tank) we topped it off in 2 x coats of 1321 S metal to completely seal the paste grade for a stouter permanent repair.

Belzona Facts

Tens of thousands of US dollars in labor and materials plus a supply chain issue of the alternative repair were saved in potential costs. Repairing the concrete wall and installing a new stainless-steel pipe was the alternative option. Plus, the massive downtime costs did not make it a good cost-effective option for the end user AB- Budweiser. The cost of Belzona materials was a couple thousand dollars and mornings worth of labor from the contractor. Plus, scaffolding and safety procedures for confined space environment work. Budweiser – AB has accepted the three Belzona products from many prior applications throughout the Jacksonville facility. I.e., repairs for the glass-lined brewing tanks that are 50 plus years old. These older brewing tanks periodically get damaged by the stirring mechanical arms on the bottom of the tanks. B-1212 and B-1321 are used for repairs. The Belzona products have been taste tested by Budweiser-AB at their St Louis laboratory for direct beer contact with no effects to the taste or quality of the beer. Thus, making Belzona 1321 S metal, B-1111 and B-1212 approved products for use within the plant. Knowing this, we chose all three for a solid repair for the wastewater beer tank.