Maintaining on-time passenger arrivals and departures outside the Quad City International Airport in Moline, Illinois, was the idea behind directional signage constructed in 1999 using impressive support structures with a protective “Cloud” cover from Tnemec. “The topcoat was an off-white color, appropriately named ‘Cloud,’” recalled Tnemec coating consultant Keith Kennett. “The owner wanted a coating system that would not require frequent maintenance, so Tnemec’s epoxy and urethane system was selected for its long-term corrosion protection and good color and gloss retention.”
Standing 25 feet high and spanning more than the width of a traffic lane, the 13 support towers were designed to aesthetically resemble a new terminal facility at the airport. Each support was prepared in accordance with SSPC-SP6/NACE No. 3 Commercial Blast Cleaning to remove all visible oil, grease, dust, dirt, mill scale, rust, and other foreign matter. The applicator used rollers to apply a prime coat of Series 90-97 Tneme-Zinc, an advanced technology, zinc-rich, aromatic urethane with user-friendly and fast-curing performance capabilities. Next, the support towers received an intermediate coat of Series 66 Hi-Build Epoxoline, a polyamide epoxy and industry standard for epoxy coatings for more than 30 years.
The supports were finished with a roller-applied topcoat of Series 75 Endura-Shield, an aliphatic acrylic polyurethane that is highly resistant to abrasion, corrosive fumes, and exterior weathering. The same coating system was used on a pair of supports for signs that were added a few years later marking a secondary roadway entrance to a new hotel.
“I frequently go to the airport and whenever I see these sign supports it’s hard to believe that it has already been more than 10 years since that project was completed,” Kennett added. “Seeing how well the coating system has performed reinforces what we know about the technology. After more than a decade, the only thing delayed at the airport has been any maintenance of the Tnemec coating system.”
The Quad City International Airport is the third-busiest commercial airport in Illinois. The international designation is for being an official port of entry and having a customs service. A Foreign Trade Zone and U.S. Customs Office are located at the airport, enabling international inbound and outbound shipments.