Common Misconceptions about removing Paint, Epoxy and Thermoplastic with Water Blasting v Erasing v Scarifying v Grinding

Common Misconceptions about removing Paint, Epoxy and Thermoplastic with Water Blasting v Erasing v Scarifying v Grinding

Without vigilant inspection oversight and clear specification guidelines for pavement marking removal, roadways can be damaged with unsightly grooves. There has been a growing trend to finger blame on the use of grinders, scarifiers and pavement marking erasers. The answer for many governments is to ban the use of these types of removal practices in favor of a water blasting method. One of the primary reasons water blasting is specified is due to the way the water is applied to the surface with a rotary disc with jets angled to produce a bevel edged finish to minimize the sharp 90 degree grooving pattern that can be produced by vertical drum grinders or scarifiers. If the water was applied vertically like a scarifier and not at a rotating angle, like an Eraser, the surface would have a similar groove finish pattern. A secondary reason for water blasting popularity is that it will naturally contain all airborne dust that can created from dry-removal processes offered without a reclaim collection system. This cleaned appearance of the surface is what appeals to specifiers. There are some drawbacks to the use of water to include high capital costs, higher maintenance costs, specialized operator training, large size of equipment, scarcity of availability and large mobilization cost.

As a byproduct to water blasting at high pressures, asphaltic concrete surfaces can be damaged when the surface coarse aggregate fines are undermined, causing the surface to rut when removing thick materials. Water is also ineffective when removing thick tapes and thermoplastic materials. Inexperienced operators and frequent equipment breakdown also damage the road surface. The wet pavement makes it difficult to re-stripe and may form as ice during late season applications. Water Blasting requires the consumption of large quantities of water.

Grooved lines, also known as "ghost lines" or "false stripes", are the result of over aggressive grooved surfaces from operators using grinders or scarifying equipment that attempt to remove the entire thick stripe in "one-pass" instead of the preferred multi-pass system. These trenched grooves collect moisture and appear as a false stripe, which can confuse the driver into following the wrong lane markings.

Scarifier machines are designed to flail or mill the substrate vertically to the surface using cutters that spin on a shaft and cut at 90 degrees which the machine is moved in the forward or backward direction. The flail or miller removal tools abrade the substrate as it strikes the surface at various depths controlled by the operator but due to how it strikes the surface a grooving pattern is a natural result. To minimize this vertical cut pattern appearance, the operator takes multiple passes using a variety of different cutting tools while working the equipment in the reverse direction of the drum rotation. This scarification action is best recommended to anchor a new coating or overlay will be applied over the materials just removed. We call this process, SMITHing or surface preparation. Some examples of scarification machines include SMITH FS and SPS models.

One low cost alternative to water blasting is the use of a pavement marking eraser. Examples of Erasers that completely eliminate lane markings without the sharp-edge grooving or "ghost-lines" includes the X Series Erasers (LNX8, X1 and X3 Erasers). Unlike the flail cutter scarifier drum system that relies solely on vertical scraping or striking which may create sharp-edge grooving, the erasers, works by breaking the coating and scraping across it simultaneously, feathering the substrate edges leaving a smoothed beveled edge finish. The Eraser assembly is held at a fixed angle to the road surface, permitting a simultaneous vertical and horizontal floating cutter action to provide a similar removal finish results as water blasting with the added benefit of controlling the depth of removal. These Erasers come equipped with a dust collection port or water spray system to eliminate any airborne materials during the removal process wet or dry.

With fewer budget dollars available for pavement marking removal, governments are looking at alternative methods and are allowing contractors to use Erasing as an alternative to water blasting. They are also tightening specifications to ban water when removing durable markings on asphalt and during freezing temperatures. Their experiences have found that Rotary Pavement Marking Erasers do a better job and now know it's not the water that offers the finish but the method used to deliver the water to the surface. As with all removal operations, the operator must be experienced in removal operations, specifications clearly written to ban grooving and inspection in place to assist the contractor in achieving the results everyone is looking for.

In conclusion, here is a short list of reasons to Erase v Water Blast

1. Erasing offers the same rotary removal action as water.

2. Erasing protects the surface while water blasting under-mines the surface

3. Erasing is not grinding or scarification. Scarification machines use a flail-it or grinding style drum that cut the surface with sharp-edge grooves at 90 degrees.

4. Operators that attempt to remove the entire thick stripe with a scarifier or grinder in "one-pass" are prime reasons the DOT has specified

water.

5. Scarification or SMITHing is best recommended for surface preparation when a new coating or overlay will be applied over the materials just removed.

6. No-Groove Erasing is defined as a removal method that feathers the substrate edges by breaking the coating and scraping across it simultaneously, leaving a smoothed beveled edge with a rolling action cutter.

7. If the water was applied vertically like a scarifier and not at a rotating angle, like an Eraser, the surface would have a groove finish pattern.

8. Water Blasting can damage surfaces when incorrect practices are applied.

9. The wet pavement makes it difficult to re-stripe and cause slippery surfaces when temperatures fall below 32 deg F.

10. Water Blasting on asphalt concrete surfaces will undermine the surface causing rutting up to 5 years after the application.

11. Erasing uses very low profile push, ride-on or truck-mounted equipment that is easy to own, operate and maintain.

12. Erasing can be applied with or without water.

13. Erasers can use a dust collector and broom truck to eliminate any air borne containments from the job sight.

14. Erasing comes standard with a variety of removal tools to produce different finishes on asphalt and concrete substrates.

15. Erasers have been successfully used with product innovations over the last 30 years.

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