What was failing
BHI Coatings performs Ladle Walkway Handrail Rebonding for industrial plants in Alvin and across the Texas Gulf Coast.
On a steel-mill ladle walkway, the handrail stanchions had corroded at the base where they meet the deck. The fastenings rusted out and the metal around the anchor points thinned, so the stanchions worked loose and the handrail moved under hand load.
A handrail that flexes is a fall hazard over a hot, active part of the plant, and the walkway surface itself had worn slick. The owner needed the handrail made fast and the footing made safe, but the walkway sits in live structure where welding sparks and a hot-work permit were not workable.
How BHI Coatings approaches Ladle Walkway Handrail Rebonding
We treat this as a cold repair so no welding goes near the live structure. We clean the corroded stanchion bases and the deck around each anchor point back to sound metal. We rebuild the lost metal and the worn anchor seats with a Belzona 1000 Series composite, then rebond and set the stanchions so they are held fast without rewelding. Once the fixtures are anchored, we lay an anti-slip surfacing across the walkway with a 4000 Series system so the footing matches the repair. The crew works the walkway in sections so the rest of the route stays usable.
Assess and map
We inspect each stanchion and its anchor point to find the loose fixtures, the corroded bases, and the worn deck around them.
Surface prep
We clean the stanchion bases and the surrounding deck back to sound, profiled metal so the composite bonds.
Rebuild and rebond
We rebuild the lost metal and worn anchor seats with a 1000 Series composite, then rebond and set the stanchions fast with no welding.
Lay anti-slip footing
We apply a 4000 Series anti-slip surfacing across the walkway so the footing is made safe along with the handrail.
Return to service
We let the systems cure, check that the stanchions are solid under load, and hand the walkway back to the crews.
The result
What Ladle Walkway Handrail Rebonding looks like
Repair and protection work of this kind, performed by BHI Coatings crews across the Texas Gulf Coast.
