Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Wet Blast Cleaning Methods of Surface Preparation

Dry abrasive blasting, the most efficient and economical technique for preparing steel for painting, is frequently not feasible or permitted for one or more of the following reasons: contamination of machinery or equipment, damage of ad adjacent ascent intact paints, or visual dust pollution. The use of sand may present a hazard from silica dust inhalation. Currently, the most practical and widely used alternatives to dry blasting are wet methods of blast cleaning. The use of water in combination with abrasives significantly reduces the amount of dust Produced and the range over which it is distributed. Wet methods of blast cleaning also reduce the visible pollution from abrasive dust clouds. This report describes the results of field evaluations of several differ different types and manufacturers of equipment for wet blasting. The objectives of this study are as follows: Determine cleaning rates and effectiveness of wet blast units; determine safety, reliability, and practicability of wet blast units and develop guidelines for use of wet blast equipment for cleaning various types of structural steel for repainting. Prepared in cooperation with Steel Structures Painting Council.