About the Project
Sun Metals Zinc Refinery is located 15km south of Townsville in North Queensland, Australia. The refinery produces a special high grade of Zinc metal which meet the stringent quality standards required under its registration at the London Metal Exchange. Sulphuric acid, low grade Zinc concentrate and copper cake, as a secondary product, are produced and sold to the international and domestic market.
The Sun Metals site is uniquely located to take advantage of its proximity to the Southeast Asian market, abundant raw materials, and skilled labour. Raw materials are sourced from mines in Australia, Alaska and South America.
Sulphuric acid, although a secondary product, is also an important part of Sun Metals’ production and is sold to clients for use in the production of fertilisers and other industrial uses.
Challenge
Sun Metals were looking for a durable waterproofing roof membrane for one of their buildings. The system needed to span shrinkage cracks, as well as offer UV stability and resist attacks from the harsh macro and micro climates of the Northern Queensland coast, more notably the Sulphuric acid attack from the refinery and abrasion wear and tear occurring due to its proximity to the coast.
The solution also needed to be trafficable since the roof was regularly accessed by trades for maintenance.
The Solution
Due to the vast surface area which needed to be waterproofed (8,000m2), Tremco recommended a system which could be administered by spray (
TREMproof P85 and
Vulkem 951NF), this allows the membrane to be applied quickly, easily and consistently to the surface area on a large scale, ensuring no bubbles and pinholes could occur due to the searing temperatures of North Queensland during Summer which can reach up to 45C.
TREMproof P85 was the recommended base coat due to its rapid curing properties, durability and a consistant application because it is sprayable. It’s tested and approved to AS 4654, and conforms to NCC standards for external waterproofing membranes.
Vulkem 951NF was chosen as the topcoat due to its trafficability and hard wearing on extreme surfaces. Vulkem 951’s ability to be sprayed, means it can be quickly, easily and consistently applied to large surfaces. Vulkem 951’s chemical resistance was a key factor in its selection due to the levels of Sulphuric acid in the environment, meaning it will wear longer and require less maintenance long term.
To ensure correct application in such a volatile environment, Tremco created project specific technical drawings and conducted iAuditor reports for the job, this not only ensured the products were correctly applied, but also to give the builder confidence that the products will work for the specific application.
