Situation

Unprotected foam floation billets can negatively impact the environment and wildlife. Foam can be damaged by debris, sunlight and chemicals.

Rodents and other creatures like to nest in foam, causing heavy further breakdown. The foam can also absorb water over time making docks heavier and less buoyant. Unencapsulated floats are now prohibited in many areas and clean-up efforts of water bodies has shown that a large percentage of the debris collected is often foam. In fact, a recent cleanup at one lake in particular found that foam chunks made up at least 90% of the 170 tons of trash collected.

Procedure

LINE-X Protective Coatings sprayed over EPS (extruded closed cell foam) offered a multi-faceted solution to the environmental and maintenance issues presented by unencapsulated forma. The direct encapsulation means no voids exist which can trap water and reduce buoyancy.

Solution

Floats can be constructed to any size or shape and LINE-X provides a seamless monolithic membrane. LINE-X also provides abrasion, impact and chemical resistance and does not support organic growth.

Results

The LINE-X encapsulated billets at the docks have been in place for 12 months of the year, over three years and have experienced no problems or concerns with the application.