Field Test of New Procedure for Removing Lead-Based Paint from Bridges

Abstract

Removing the failed and failing lead-containing paint on the more than 7,000 steel-beam highway bridges maintained by the Virginia Department of Transportation is an increasingly vexing problem given issues regarding the environment, worker health, and cost. The expense and liability associated with the paint debris generated as well as the debris resulting from the removal procedure further complicate the issue. The situation nationally is more dramatic: of approximately 200,000 structures, 80 to 90 percent have lead-based paint. Proven in the laboratory, the Electrostrip procedure, which uses an electrochemical treatment to cause paint to debond from steel, was tested in the field. The technology was first used at a production level to remove 74 m2 of lead-based paint from a bridge in service on the Virginia Interstate system. Over 7 workdays, this method was used to remove the lead-based existing and original paint system and generated 63 percent less solid debris than full abrasives blasting would have done. Although the production rate was lower than with more conventional techniques, greater environmental and worker protection was achieved with Electrostrip than with any other paint removal method demonstrated and documented thus far.