Ship-loader boom

The challenge

A dry bulk terminal replaced the boom of one of its ship-loaders. The new section, 38 metres and 80 tonnes, would spend its life above the water in salt spray, with coal and ore dust scouring every surface. The old boom had needed paint repairs every few years, and each one meant downtime at the quay.

Our approach

Temse sits on the Scheldt, so a piece this size can come straight off a pontoon into our hall. We blasted the boom to Sa 3 in one run and metallized it with zinc-aluminium, which holds up better than pure zinc in a marine atmosphere. A sealer closed the porous metal layer, followed by a polyurethane topcoat in the terminal’s safety yellow. Inside the box section, we checked every drain opening so no water can collect.

The result

The boom left on schedule after three weeks, ready for installation. With a duplex system, the terminal expects to go well past the old repaint interval, which means fewer stops for the loader.