Generator Room Protection: Bund Sealing
In order to prevent dangerous contamination in the event of a leakage, bund sealing was used to secure the generator room.
THE CHALLENGE
Barclays was looking to implement an efficient bund lining system for two of their generator rooms. The sealed bund would need to hold the equivalent of 110% of the total volume of fuel stored within the generator room in line with “The Control of Pollution (Oil Storage) (England) Regulations 2001”.
In the first room, which houses two generators, the base and walls were not sealed, which could potentially lead to hydrocarbons permeating through the concrete or travelling along cracks in the base and floors, contaminating the surrounding area. There was also an electric supply in some of the channels, which in the event of a fuel spill, the electrics would be submerged in flammable liquids.
In the second location, which houses three diesel storage tanks, there were no containment measures in place, which was a potential high risk in the event of a spillage or leak and could also lead to large fines by The Environmental Agency.
THE SOLUTION
First, we calculated the areas for the bund as per the Oil Storage Regulations and visually marked them out on the floor. Our team then ground the surface with a diamond grinder to remove any surface debris, laitance and imperfections.
Next, we installed the modular GRP bund, which in certain areas needed to be shaped to fit into the difficult contours of the generator stand. The GRP is mechanically fastened to the floor and all the joints are sealed with mastic to ensure a completely sealed finish to apply the polyurea coating.
Once the GRP has been installed, we applied a specialised primer to the prepared surface and on the inside area of the GRP bund walls. This will ensure the final application of Polyurea will have the maximum adhesion to the concrete floor and GRP walls.
Our specialist pure-polyurea is then spray applied on top of the primer putting the final seal on the newly constructed bund. Our polyurea coating has a high level of resistance to hydrocarbons, therefore, creating a monolithic membrane able to safely contain the potential fuel leakages for up to 48 hours. In the event of a fuel spillage, the area would need to be cleaned to ensure no damage is caused to the lining.
For applications that would need to contain a fuel spillage for longer than 48hrs, we also offer a highly chemical resistant polyurea that can withstand indefinite submersion in hydrocarbons.
Lastly, an anti-slip coating was applied directly onto the freshly applied polyurea to create safe demarcated walkways should a spillage occur, and an anti-slip tape is applied on top of the GRP as a visual and physical precaution.
THE RESULTS
A fully compliant bund lining system was constructed with the generators, tanks and pipes in situ. Our team at Ultimate Coatings were able to provide a full turn-key solution, from the initial assessment and planning to the implementation of the bund.
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