Upon inspection of the outboard steel piles of the pier, the engineers at Bulk Sugar noticed corrosion starting to infiltrate the piles. Bulk Sugar contacted New York's Rockwater Manufacturing for a solution to their corrosion problem.

Through a process of written and photographic correspondence, Rockwater decided the best way to combat the corrosion was to install its PileCapsule-S system, a combination of petrolatum products and outer protection barrier which arrests any existing corrosion on the piles, creates an oxygen barrier to prevent further corrosion, and provides an encapsulating protective outer barrier.

The PileCapsule-S system uses a number of components to effectively prevent and eliminate corrosion. First, there is the Petro Primer Paste, which is used to prime the surface and fill small irregularities in the surface to be wrapped.

The next element is the C-3 Tri Polymer Outer Membrane with felt backing. The felt backing comes pre-saturated with Petrolatum Rust Inhibitor Paste, and is shipped with a clear protective coating which peels off the felt backing for ease of installation. The Rust Inhibitor, when wrapped around the pile, will displace moisture and passivate surface oxides, while the membrane itself will resist ultra violet rays, ozone, chemicals, oils, biological matter, and other pollutants and contaminants that can harm the steel piles. The membrane includes a vertical, non-corrosive, composite, high-strength rod that is inserted into a notched pocket on either side to keep uniform tension throughout the C-3 Barrier.

The third component is a type 316 stainless steel compression band installed around the top and bottom of the membrane, which are fully tensioned and locked with a stainless steel buckle to keep the membrane in place during heavy seas and tidal influx.

Rockwater sent a team to Australia to install the PileCapsule-S System. There were some obstacles in installing the system, the most troublesome being the size of the piles. The piles were a cumbersome 40 inches in diameter and stood as tall as 16.5 feet in most cases. A network of scaffolding was built in order to facilitate the installation.

We were also subjected to harsh onshore wind, waves, and fluctuating tides since the 200-foot section of the pier was facing the open ocean. This pier was situated just inside the Great Barrier Reef, so the wildlife inhabiting the area was also a concern. Saltwater crocodiles, venomous sea snakes, as well as the enormous poisonous jellyfish were just some of the so-called "sea monsters" the team encountered. There was also a giant grouper of local fame that continuously lurked, eating anything thrown into the water.

Despite all of the difficult and dangerous obstacles, the system was installed successfully. Since this installation almost eight years ago, the PileCapsule-S system and underlying piles have been thoroughly inspected annually, and even survived two typhoons, which twice destroyed the superstructure above the piles. For more, visit www.rockwateruw.com.

Surface-Treated Coating From Subsea Industries
With the progress of science, new developments in marine coating technology could provide advantageous and long-lasting economic solutions over existing paints. Any low maintenance replacement must demonstrate highly efficient corrosion protection and non-stick properties against marine organisms. It must contribute to fuel savings and be non-toxic. The design life of the coating should be in excess of 15 years and it should be easy to maintain anywhere in the world.

Belgian company Subsea Industries' new EcoSpeed is just such a radical departure from existing subsea coatings. Billed by the company as the world's first surface-treated coating, EcoSpeed is a homogenous hull protection and mechanical anti-fouling system providing a totally impenetrable, non-hydroscopic coating. It protects against most corrosive chemicals, water, and gases.

Once applied, the coating is conditioned to provide a hull roughness of less than 10 microns (Rubert scale) and cures with 'ice-breaker' hardness. When coated with EcoSpeed, propellers are protected against the effects of cavitation damage, therefore prolonging the service life of the propeller and maintaining its efficiency.

EcoSpeed is thus able to provide significant fuel savings due to its smoothness over other coating types. This method of treating the coating to a minimal roughness is an integral design element of the system. The fundamental reason a vessel is dry-docked is for the replacement of its underwater coatings.

EcoSpeed eliminates this need and thus the economies of this system are obvious from that aspect alone.

At the outset of 2003, the Belgian Pilot Service made the bold decision to coat its four 182-foot pilot cutters. The pilot service technical department heads had been searching for a long-lasting coating. Their criteria concluded that the coating would have to provide significant savings on the annual maintenance of the hulls, both above and below the waterline. This marked the beginning of a completely different and innovative approach to maintaining a vessel's hull, its economical speed and an effective means of dealing with fouling.

The Loodsboot 1 was the first of the ships to be coated with this protection system, with the other three following shortly thereafter. After their first year coated with EcoSpeed, the vessels are reported to be in prime condition with no signs of corrosion or fouling. The propellers were also coated and there are no signs of any cavitation activity or fouling.

While it is too early for the Pilot Service to provide fuel economy figures, they are convinced the vessels are more efficient, as their performance has not decreased at all since EcoSpeed was applied and they were re-floated.

The basis of the EcoSpeed system is an extremely durable glass-platelet-based coating, of which the surface is treated and changed to an ultra-smooth finish. It provides superb corrosion protection. The surface-treated coating prevents penetration of marine organisms into the coating, adherence to EcoSpeed is greatly reduced, and the removal process is easy.