Corrosion protection to sheet piles in a tidal zone.
Background
The picturesque old fishing village of Leigh on Sea is situated 30 miles east of London on the north bank of the Thames Estuary. With origins back to the Doomsday Book, it has a long history as a settlement dependent on the sea, and despite many changes, still has much of the atmosphere and character of the old, seafaring community.
The Old Leigh flood defences were installed in the 1980’s and consist of sheet piles sunk 6m into the ground. Whilst still capable of protecting the town, the piles were showing signs of rusting and a budget of £145,000 was set aside to coat them and ensure their long term effectiveness.
The Solution
Cemprotec E942, a water-based, two component cement and epoxy modified polymer coating was specified as an environmentally friendly solution. After grit blasting to remove corrosion by-products, two 1mm coats of Cemprotec E942 were applied by Kieran Lucas Contracting using a PowerSpray PS1000 pump. Working in a narrow tidal window, the E942 can be immersed just 2 hours after application to provide stand alone corrosion protection.
Client
Southend-on-Sea Borough Council
Contractor
Kieran Lucas Contracting
Project Profile - Old Leigh Sea Defences