Wastewater holding tanks weakened and damaged by external corrosion underneath two luxury portable toilet trailers undergo repair and strengthening, avoiding the decommissioning and replacement of two expensive units which were other wise in good working condition.

Case Study Overview

Site Luxury Portable Toilet Trailer
Location United Kingdom
Repair Type Wastewater holding tank repair
Products Sylmasta AB Original Epoxy Putty, Liquid Metal Epoxy Coating

Tank Defect

Luxury portable toilet trailers are mobile restroom facilities used for large outdoor occasions, such as music festivals and sporting events. They include flushing toilets, urinals, sinks with running water, mirrors and lighting, offering a more comfortable experience than standard portable toilets.

Wastewater from a portable toilet trailer is stored in a large holding tank between the floor of the restroom and the undercarriage of the trailer. After an event has finished, the tank is drained and the wastewater taken to a treatment site before the trailer moves to its next destination.

Constructing a portable toilet trailer is expensive. When a leading UK supplier discovered external corrosion had caused holes to appear in the 3000 litre capacity holding tanks of two of their units, they contacted Sylmasta to see whether a repair was feasible.

With the plumbing, fixtures and fittings of both trailers in otherwise good condition, the supplier wanted to plug the holes and strengthen the metalwork to keep the two units in service instead of replacement at huge expense.

SylWrap Solution

Both trailers were repaired using the same method. The units were first jacked up to access the wastewater holding tank. The metalwork was then ground down to remove rust, dirt and grime.

Sylmasta AB Original Epoxy Putty was supplied in stick format for the plugging of the holes. Enough putty was cut from the stick to fill a hole, kneaded by hand and pushed in.

After two hours, AB Original cured to form a rock-hard material inside the hole for a permanent seal. The long work time of AB Original enabled every hole to be carefully filled using the mixed putty without the threat of premature curing

Once all the holes had been filled, the entire 1.3 metres by 2.5 meters underneath of the unit was painted with Liquid Metal Epoxy Coating. Also painted were the metallic box and pipe fitted to the bottom of the holding tank, through which wastewater was removed.

Two coatings of Liquid Metal were applied, curing to form a smooth, metallic, hard-wearing external layer. The new surface strengthened the metalwork and protected it from protected further corrosion attack.

At the same time, it encased the tank in a shell capable of containing the wastewater content should future internal corrosion breach the original tank from inside.

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Outcome

Each portable toilet trailer was able to go back into service 24 hours after the second coating of Liquid Metal had been applied. Repairing the two trailers cost under £800, representing a huge saving compared with the tens of thousands of replacing the units.

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Follow Up

The supplier were extremely pleased with the success of the application and are now using the same method on other units when corrosion is detected.

They have estimated that it could extend the lifespan of their fleet by up to 10 years, taking every trailer through to the point where the interior fittings become dated enough to warrant total unit replacement.

Products Used

AB Original Epoxy Putty
Epoxy putty with a long work time for sealing large numbers of holes in one application

Liquid Metal
Epoxy coating brush applied to form a new metallic exterior surface to the holding tank

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