Blog

Lead paint removal is a challenge regardless of location and circumstances, but even more so when the process takes place in a busy train station. This was the case when Avalotis Corporation was tasked with a lead paint removal, surface preparation, and high-performance coating system application at the 30^th Street train station in Philadelphia, PA.

Wilson Hall (recently renamed Friedman Hall) is one of the most heavily used buildings on the Brown University campus. The Romanesque-style (circa 1891) structure was built at the bequest of George Francis Wilson and was designed by architects Gould and Angell to expand Brown’s lecture and classroom space.

In February 2019, work began on the decommissioning of the Battery Street Tunnel in Seattle, Washington. Expected to be completed in 2020, this project is a huge undertaking that includes removing the tunnel’s utility and mechanical systems, removing decades of automotive soot buildup from the tunnel, filling the tunnel, and sealing its entrances.

In the early hours of a windy Sunday morning, a massive, 10-alarm fire broke out in the downtown area of Waltham, Massachusetts. The fire completely destroyed a condo complex that was under construction, leaving severe soot damage throughout the entire parking garage next door.

Abrasive blasting is often a dusty process. When contractors are required to blast near highly sensitive equipment or in areas where air quality is very important, they often need to sacrifice superior surface prep methods or erect extreme containment. At NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida one contractor was tasked with this difficult challenge - providing the highest quality surface prep and low dust blasting with Sponge Media.

When rust, corrosion and coating system failure became apparent on pipes in the filter galleries of the Lafayette Utilities Systems (LUS) water treatment plant, a rehabilitation plan was developed. One of the most important aspects of this plan was to prepare the carbon steel surfaces and create the proper anchor profile for the new coating system. Depending on the severity of the rust and corrosion on various pipe sections, the specifications called for either near white metal blast cleaning or commercial blast cleaning.

The historic World Trade Center New Orleans is a focal point of the vibrant downtown landscape. Designed by noted architect Edward Durell Stone in the 1960s, the skyscraper is located in the heart of the New Orleans business district and on the Mississippi River. The building formerly housed numerous foreign consulates and was the headquarters for the Port of New Orleans.

The historic restoration of Boston's Longfellow Bridge is now complete! The large-scale granite restoration project included onsite blasting by United Stone, as well as dismantling the bridge’s iconic Rockport granite “salt and pepper” towers piece-by-piece, and then transporting them to nearby workyards in Charlestown via barge for offsite restoration. The now pristine towers were reassembled using a mix of modern and historic construction technology. Skilled masons at United Stone were able to clean ornate granite carvings as well as the large granite blocks using the same equipment and media.

Sponge Media™ abrasives are currently being used to help the US Military keep their amphibious hovercraft in fighting shape. These vehicles are known for their versatility, facing deployment in different climates all over the world. Naval hovercraft vessels have coatings that must hold up in environments ranging from the arid desert to the freezing arctic. To prevent corrosion from damaging these costly vehicles, surface preparation must be perfect.

In the late 1940s private funds helped launch the development and construction of the United States Marine Corps War Memorial near Arlington National Cemetery in Washington DC. The iconic flag raising over Iwo Jima was sculpted by Felix de Weldon then cast from plaster into bronze. The giant bronze pieces were assembled on site. In the nearly 70 years since the memorial was constructed, it’s never had a major restoration — until now.