Case Study - Minute Maid Park, home of the Houston Astros

"Two million gallons of water and no leaks!"

Problem: Insulate and waterproof two large chiller tanks.

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

The new home of the Houston Astros, Astro’s Field, was designed with a retractable roof to allow baseball fans to be comfortable, rain or shine. But, even when the roof is closed, Astros fans have to cope with the hot, muggy Texas weather.

To cool the stadium when the roof was closed, Reliant Energy, a division of North-wind Houston, built a gigantic chiller tank station four blocks west of the ballpark. Two chiller tanks hold a total of 2,000,000 gallons of water. The water is super-cooled to just above the freezing level, and the chilled water is pumped through a network of pipes inside the stadium, cooling the ambient temperature.

The architect specified Gaco Western's LM-60 and PolyFoam 275 to line and insulate the chiller tank. GacoFlex LM-60V for vertical application, and GacoFlex LM-60H, for horizontal application, offer flexible, long-lasting protection for potable water tanks.

First, the contractor primed the tank walls and floor with GacoFlex E-5320 epoxy primer. Ninety mils of GacoFlex LM-60H was applied to the base slab. The surface was covered with protection board and a 3-inch concrete wear surface. Two inches of PolyFoam 275 spray polyurethane foam were then applied to the walls of the tank, and the cured foam was topped with GacoFlex LM-60V, applied at the rate of 60 mils. The chiller tank station was completed in 1999.

The tanks are fully operational, and completely leak free.

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