Innovative Coating Solution for Airport Infrastructure
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Innovative Coating Solution for Airport Infrastructure

Melbourne Airport (Asia Pacific Airport Corporation – Melbourne [APAM]) commenced a beautification program of works to the existing Melbourne Airport Terminals 1, 2 and 3 in the middle of 2016. As part of the program existing concrete infrastructure, including building facades, pedestrian bridges, elevated roads, car park ramps and overpasses required painting to strict specifications.

The APAM concrete infrastructure beautification program required conformance to a challenging time-frame and could not interrupt airport operations.

PrimoGuard decorative coatings were chosen over competitive systems, due to a number of considerations including; no disruption to airport operations, fast application time, application in low temperature environment, and surety of completion to timelines,and previous experience and with PrimoGuard on airport bridges and overpasses.

Nanokote was engaged to supply and install PrimoGuard coatings to approximately 30,000 square metres of infrastructure, being building facades, pedestrian bridges, elevated roads, car park ramps and overpasses.
The PrimoGuard application program required assessment of the existing concrete infrastructure (some of which was up to 40 years old), development of a detailed works program, and selection of optimal application methodologies (brush, roll and spray) in order to satisfy the customers requirements.

By working flexible work hours, throughout days and nights, with multiple application crews deployed to separate work fronts in order to avoid disruption to passengers and airport operations, Nanokote was able to successfully complete the beautification coating program within eight weeks.

Nanokote was able to minimize impacts to passengers and airport operations because PrimoGuard there was no requirement for the applicators to return to the work area more than once, allowing:

  • Application work to be undertake quickly
  • Minimal application interruptions due to changes and adverse weather
  • No disruption to airport and passenger traffic
  • No disruption to passengers and pedestrians in peak periods
  • Standard access equipment to be employed
  • Flexibility of moving from one work areas to another to suit operational needs
  • Substitute PrimoGuard for other coating systems on metal substrates.

PrimoGuard offers the following advantages to the airport :

  • Surface water ingress into the concrete is prevented, due to the PrimoGuard coating properties.
  • Existing lighting outside the Terminal entries became more effective due to the reflectivity of the coating (possibility to reduce the electricity use)
  • Concrete surfaces became easier to clean(possibly to reduce labour time)
  • Concrete coating less susceptible to damage from high pressure cleaning, due to the extremely strong adhesion of PrimoGuard to the concrete.

Nanokote has been working with government authorities and private asset owners, along with specifiers around the world for more than eight years as need for next generation concrete coating materials has expanded. Best practices to achieve cost efficient design, enhanced service life, reduced maintenance costs have continued to be focal points for major infrastructure asset owners.

PrimoGuard is a single coat system for anti-carbonation and anti-corrosion requiring no priming that allows a single coat to be directly applied to dry or damp concrete.
This replaces typical competitor coating systems requiring three-coats: primer and two separate coats of acrylic applied 24 hours apart.
Single coat application offers for major savings when carrying out works on infrastructure where 24 hour operations exist and no disruption to operations and passengers are required.