Case Study - Austin City Hall and Convention Center

"Results were both innovative and effective - two new chiller tanks designed to be maintenance-free for years to come."

Problem: Insulate and waterproof two large chiller tanks.

Solution: Gaco Western PolyFoam Insulation and LM-60 Urethane Water Tank Lining.

Austin's city hall and convention center are located in the city's downtown district, minutes from the state capitol. The Texas summertime heat dictates that buildings have an efficient air conditioning system to keep indoor temperatures at a comfortable level.

Effective air conditioning is accomplished through the use of chiller tanks. Water in the tanks is super-cooled to just above the freezing level, and the chilled water is pumped through a network of pipes inside the building, cooling the ambient temperature.

Construction of a new city hall building in 2000 required construction of a new chiller tank, designed to hold one million gallons of water. Furthermore, a recent addition to the Austin Convention Center also required construction of a new one million gallon chiller tank.

Completed in 2005, the convention center tank sits at the east end of 4 th street, facing the city hall tank which is located at the extreme west end of the same street.

Gaco Western Area Manager, Dan Rasberry , specified the use of Gaco PolyFoam and LM-60 to insulate and waterproof each of these tanks. The application process proceeded smoothly, due to Dan's hands-on support combined with the proven reliability of the Gaco materials. Results were both innovative and effective - two new chiller tanks designed to be maintenance-free for years to come.

The process began with the application of GacoFlex E-5320 epoxy primer to the floor of the tank. A strip of Gaco polyurethane foam was then sprayed on the walls around the bottom of the tank. This would provide a tie-in with the foam which would later be applied to all four walls.

Next, GacoFlex LM-60 liquid urethane was applied by roller and squeegee to the floor of the structure at a thickness of 120 mils. After the LM-60 cured, it was covered with protection board. A concrete topping slab was poured over the top of the protection board. With the floor completed, only the walls remained to be finished. The walls were primed with E-5320, which was allowed to cure. Insulating polyurethane foam was then sprayed over the primer at a two inch thickness.

Finally, the foam was coated with 90 mils of GacoFlex LM-60 urethane. The LM-60 was also spray-applied. When cured, the LM-60 provided seamless waterproofing for the entire tank. As a final step, the tank's cooling coils were installed. To complete the project, a cover was installed over the tank, and the outside walls were decorated in blue tile.

The Convention Center tank was brought into use in 2005, joining its 4 th street cousin which has been in service since 2000. The superb reliability and proven track record of the GacoFlex materials used in the application means the City of Austin can expect these two chiller tanks to function well for many years to come.

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