FRP composites used to restore and rebuild packed tower aeration systems

Dayton, Ohio — With a removal rate that approaches 99 percent, packed tower aeration systems are a popular option for eliminating volatile organic compounds from groundwater. When the City of Dayton’s [Ohio] five packed tower aeration systems — installed in the late 1980s — began to fail, it needed a fix that could restore the structures to like new condition in performance and appearance. Dayton officials turned to FiberSystems for a Fiber Reinforced Plastic (FRP) composites solution.

“The spools were experiencing early failure,” says T. R. Morton, CEO of FiberSystems. The custom composites manufacturer is also based in Dayton. “Once the structures were removed from service they were delivered to our facility for restoration and rebuilding. FRP composite materials possess a number of superior performance characteristics, so in addition to being able to rebuild the damaged sections, we also significantly extended the lifecycle of the structures.”

FiberSystems rebuilt a total of five 16-inch by 12-inch diameter flanged reducing spools. Using a unique high-performance, high-temperature epoxy vinyl ester resin the new components were filament wound and then joined together by adhesive welding.  The spools were also coated with specialty UV-resistant polyurethane typically used in automotive applications. The coating provides spool surfaces with effective corrosion resistance and protection for an improved cosmetic appearance. The first spool was returned to the job site in November 2015 with the final spool picked up for installation in December 2015.