Photo By Jessica Dambruch | USAG-KA Command Sgt. Maj. Ismael Ortega met with personnel from the Kwajalein Water...... read more read more
U.S. Army Garrison-Kwajalein Atoll Command Sgt. Maj. Ismael Ortega joined personnel at the Kwajalein Water Plant April 23, 2022, to commemorate the refurbishment of Treated Water Storage Tank Two.
The one-million-gallon potable water tank contains water garrison residents require for everyday use in kitchens, homes and offices. Completion of the project represents a long-term cost savings for the garrison.
Coated in a sleeve of slate gray epoxy, the modernized treated water storage tank stands in marked contrast to the bare concrete of neighboring tanks.
The tank was built by the U.S. Navy in the 1950s. Over the years, it has suffered from corrosion and spalling. As USAG-KA requires 140,000 gallons of potable water per day for kitchens, showers, cooking, laundry and drinking water, losing tank functionality would represent an incalculable failure.
The refurbishment, which began in August 2021, will extend the useful life of the facility, prevent leaks and provide system redundancy to facilitate refurbishment work on other vintage tanks. The process was completed at a fraction of the cost of a new tank build.
"With the refurbishment, the USAG-KA Department of Public Works coordinated the first ever 'C' contract for the $2.5 million dollar project via the 413th Contract Support Brigade in Hawaii to provide additional capacity beyond LOGCAP," said USAG-KA DPW Director Derek Miller. "The initiative was a follow-up to the initial pilot demonstration project, which provided the effectiveness of carbon fiber polymer reinforcement wraps to repair heavily degraded concrete."
Concrete restoration crews from Delta Structural Technology, a subcontractor to the prime contractor Cascade Solutions, first identified compromised areas in the aged walls of the concrete tank. After chipping these out and removing old rebar, new concrete was poured in place. Next, the team wrapped the interior walls in epoxy impregnated fiberglass woven roving and added a joint membrane on the floor of the tank before wrapping the outside with fine carbon fiber, said project supervisor Jesus Murillo.
Restoration Specialist Blake Steele provided a small sample of the carbon fiber material utilized in the project: a lightweight skein of black fiber wrapped in delicate bands of white thread.
Soaked in epoxy, once applied to the structure, the sheets of lightweight carbon fiber are designed to replace old rebar and create a strong structure to last for many more years in Kwajalein’s harsh environment. It adheres to most objects, Steele said, which makes safety on the job a top priority.
“When we work with this, we wear protective equipment,” Steele said. “After a while, it bonds and sticks to everything, if you aren’t careful.”
Even so, Steele’s teammates agreed that the toughest part of the work was not the fiber-wrapping: it was waiting for Kwajalein's periodic rains to stop.
Kwajalein Atoll represents the farthest location away from home the refurbishment team members have traveled. Following this project, they welcome the chance to return to continue restoring other storage tanks at the Kwajalein Water Plant.
Murillo said completing the tank for the community was a satisfying achievement. The refurbished tank is also a welcome sight for USAG-KA’s Environmental Engineer, Gary Hutchinson.
“It looks so much better,” Hutchinson said.
| Date Taken: | 04.30.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 05.10.2022 21:03 |
| Story ID: | 420428 |
| Location: | MH |
| Web Views: | 112 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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