Fish Hatchery Modernizations:

Epoxy Coated Raceways and

Holding Tanks
National Science Foundation
roposal
!"#$"#$%!
&ake 'illes
Mechanical Engineering
Throughout the aci(ic Northwest) *estern Canada) and +laska there are larger nu,-ers
o( (ish hatcheries that are nearing the end o( their use(ul li(e. These (acilities are wearing out and
will need to -e re-uilt or restored to ,aintain their production. Ma/or parts o( these restorations
include the large a,ount o( concrete waterways and (ish holding tanks. 01er ti,e these concrete
structures wear down 2uickly when constantly su-,erged in ,o1ing water. This allows cracks to
(or, which results in leaks and the rough walls o( the worn concrete can har, (ish.
My proposal (ocuses on increasing the li(espan o( these concrete water ways with epoxy
coatings. Many ti,es the water ways or holding tanks are still structurally sound) which opens
up the possi-ility (or reno1ations instead o( replace,ent. This could possi-ly sa1e ,oney in the
long run) i( the coatings could -e used until the next reno1ation process.
Contents
%. ro/ect 01er1iew
#. 3iterature Re1iew
4. lan o( *ork"5esign
%. Test Speci,en +c2uisition"Construction
#. Epoxy +pplication
4. 3eak"Thickness Testing
!. Te,perature Testing
6. Sur(ace Friction Testing
7. Results
!. 8udget
6. Ti,e line
7. *orks Cited
ro/ect 01er1iew
The ,ain goal o( this pro/ect is to deter,ine i( epoxy coatings on concrete water ways
in (ish hatcheries is a 1ia-le option (or increasing the li(espan o( these structures. Many (ish
hatcheries throughout North +,erica are nearing a point where they need to -e ,odernized or
e1en (ully re-uilt. The water ways o( these (acilities are crucial pieces o( the hatcheries and will
always -e needed) so increasing their usa-le li(e is 1ery i,portant.
The idea (or this pro/ect ca,e (ro, ,y experience working at an engineering (ir, that
specialized in (ish hatcheries and water syste,s. Many o( the locations that 9 worked on were
aging and needed i,pro1e,ents to ,aintain their use(ulness. The idea o( using epoxy as a
coating (or the concrete ca,e (ro, trying to ,ini,ize the cost o( a hatchery reno1ation.
:*5F*;# #$%4< The operators o( the hatchery were looking to update the (acility) -ut the cost o(
re;engineering and replacing the concrete channels was outside o( their -udget at the ti,e. The
idea o( the epoxy coating was thrown around) -ut was not chosen in the end due to a lack o(
knowledge on the su-/ect.
3iterature Re1iew
3iterature on this topic is so,ewhat sli,) as it is so speci(ic) -ut there were a (ew rele1ant
resources (ound on the su-/ect. The (irst source is (ro, the 5worshak National Hatchery=s -log.
The e,ployees at the hatchery recorded their use o( epoxy on old (ish rearing tanks to extend
their usea-le li(e. The concrete tanks had -een worn down a(ter o1er (orty years o( use and the
aggregate in the ce,ent was -eginning to show. The re(ur-ishing o( the tanks was (ocused on
eli,inating the possi-ility o( the concrete leaking and li,iting the a-ility o( -acteria to sur1i1e in
the tanks when -eing cleaned. :5worshak #$%4<
The second source used to research this topic was (ro, the >.S. Fish and *ildli(e
Ser1ice) regarding the Hager,an National Fish Hatchery. They co,pleted a reno1ation o( their
rearing tanks using 1ery si,ilar ,ethods to the 5worshak hatchery. The tanks were dried)
ground down) and (inally epoxy coated with the sa,e goals o( eli,inating leaks and lowering the
possi-ility o( -acteria growth. :F*S #$%%<
These sources show that the idea o( using epoxy coatings to increase the li(espan o(
concrete water ways in hatcheries is a possi-le solution. The process has -een co,pleted -e(ore)
-ut there is no actual data to go with these applications. This would -e the goal o( the pro/ect) so
in situations si,ilar to these) the operators o( a hatchery could ha1e data to -ack up their
decisions when reno1ating and ,odernization their (acilities. :H5R #$%4<
5esign
%. Test Speci,en:
The initial step (or this pro/ect will -e ac2uiring sections o( worn concrete that can -e
used to represent the walls o( the water ways. This would -e easily o-taina-le through an
local concrete plant or gra1el pit) as they usually accept torn out concrete to -e used as
aggregate. The experi,ental piece ,ay not per(ectly represent concrete that was
su-,erged (or it=s li(eti,e) -ut a piece that was outside and unco1ered should -e close
enough in ter,s o( roughness and aggregate exposed.
5ue to lack o( control o1er the size and thickness o( the concrete) planning ,ust -e set up
so that the testing will -e 1aria-le to whate1er ,aterials are ac2uired. 9( recycled pieces
o( concrete cannot -e o-tained) it would -e possi-le to pour ,ultiple exposed pieces in
1arying shapes that could -e used to represent the aged concrete. This ,ethod would not
-e as accurate) -ut could -e used in a pinch. The esti,ated s2uare (ootage needed (or
testing is currently se1enty (i1e.
#. Epoxy +pplication:
The central (ocus o( this pro/ect re1ol1es around the epoxy -eing used and it=s a-ility to
sol1e the issue at hand. The epoxy (or this pro/ect would -e Macropoxy 7!7) the sa,e
product used at the Hager,an National Hatchery. 9t has a good reputation a,ong retailers
and the (ish and wildli(e ser1ice has had success with it in the past.
9( the esti,ated a,ount o( concrete can -e o-tained) ,ultiple thicknesses o( the epoxy
will -e tested. This will allow the results to -e co,pared at the di((erent thicknesses and
(ind the ,ini,u, thicknesses needed to pre1ent leaks. The proposed thicknesses (or
these test will -e -etween % and %6 ,illi,eters. This range should allow testing o( epoxy
1arying (ro, 1ery thin to 1ery thick. *ith these di((erent thicknesses) we will also -e
a-le to esti,ate the ,ost e((icient thickness (or the coatings o( concrete tanks.
4. 3eak Testing:
0ne ,a/or -ene(it o( using an epoxy to line the concrete is that it should (ill in cracks and
stop leaks. The current unknown that will -e gained (ro, this test will -e (inding the
,ini,u, thickness re2uired to stop leaks. This will -e conducted -y using corner
sections o( the recycled concrete or creating our own. These corners will -e coated with
di((erent thicknesses o( the epoxy) cured) and then -e (illed with a set a,ount o( water.
+(ter %# hours the water can reclai,ed (ro, the concrete and ,easured. The e1aporation
shop -e si,ilar o1er all o( the sections) so any 1ariance in water 1olu,e would -e caused
-y leaks.
!. Te,perature Testing:
+nother ,a/or (actor in using the epoxy to coat the concrete is it=s a-ility to hold up to the
ele,ents. Many o( the concrete water ways are located outside in exposed areas) so they
are hea1ily e((ect -y weather and te,perature. +(ter conducting the leak test) the epoxy
coated concrete sections will -e exposed to a range o( te,peratures. First lowering the
te,perature o( the epoxy to -elow 4# degrees Fahrenheit) then exa,ining the sur(ace to
see i( there is any noticea-le changes. The next part o( the test will (ocus on raising the
sur(ace te,perature o( the epoxy to o1er %$$ degrees Fahrenheit) to si,ulate a hot
en1iron,ent. This will -e acco,plished using a space heater at a relati1ely close distance
and using an in(ared ther,o,eter to ,easure the te,perature o( the epoxy. The sur(ace
can -e inspected to see how the epoxy is e((ected at di((erent te,peratures and
thicknesses.
6. Sur(ace Friction Testing:
The sur(ace o( the epoxy ,ust -e 1ery s,ooth) as the (ish -eing contained in the concrete
water ways can da,age the, sel1es on rough sur(aces o1er ti,e. + -asic test can -e
conducted using di((erent ,aterials -eing pulled across the sur(ace. This allows a sur(ace
(riction coe((icient to -e calculated and co,pared to di((erent ,aterials) including the
concrete preceding the epoxy. 9t is expected (or the epoxy to -e as s,ooth or s,ooth than
the concrete) -ut it will -ene(it to know the actual coe((icient (or the sur(ace. This will
allow people choosing sur(aces (or (ish storage and transport to co,pare their ,aterials
to the epoxy.
7. Results:
The outco,e o( this pro/ect will -e data and results than can -e used -y designers or
hatchery e,ployees to decided whether epoxy is right (or there reno1ation. The goal is to
ha1e data the representing each o( the tests conducted and -e displayed in an easy to read
,anner. 0pen 0((ice Calc will -e used to co,pile the data and create 1isuals that
represent the (indings.
reparation
9 ha1e a -ackground in concrete construction and design) which ,akes ,e and idea
candidate (or this pro/ect. My (a,ily operates a concrete construction -usiness) which ,eans 9
ha1e ,ost o( the tools needed to conduct the test already at ,y disposal. 9 will play the central
part in this pro/ect and conduct all o( the tests ,y sel(. The only assistance needed ,ay -e in
(inding the recycled concrete in the -eginning) -ut 9 already ha1e connections in this area) so it
should -e acco,plished. 9 will -e the person applying the epoxy to the concrete and testing it (or
te,perature) leaks) and (riction coe((icient. My -ackground in ,echanical engineering has gi1en
,e the knowledge to co,plete all calculations encountered in this pro/ect.
Ti,e 3ine
%. 8egin looking organizing and o-taining ,aterials ? 6"#$"#$%!
#. urchase epoxy a(ter (iguring a,ount o( test concrete ? 6"##"#$%!
4. rep sur(ace (or epoxy 6"#@"#$%!
!. +pply epoxy to concrete at di((erent thicknesses ? 6"#A"#$%!
6. 3et epoxy (ully cure at designated te,perature ? 6"#A"#$%! ? 6"4%"#$%!
7. Conduct leak test ? 7"%"#$%!
@. Conduct te,perature testing ? 7"#"#$%4 ? 7"4"#$%!
A. Conduct sur(ace (riction test ? 7"!"#$%!
B. Co,pile and calculate results ? 7"4"#$%! ? 7"%$"#$%!
resent Results ? 7"%!"#$%!*orks Cited
CNursery Tank Face 39(t.C *e- log post. The Fish Ladder: Notes from Dworshak Fisheries
Complex. Ed. 5worshak 8log. 8logspot.co,) B Fe-. #$%4. *e-. %4 +pr. #$%!.
CHatchery Maintenance.C U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. >nited States 'o1ern,ent) %B &an.
#$%%. *e-. %4 +pr. #$%!.
*5F*. CSal,on Hatcheries 01er1iew.C Washinton Department of Fish ! Wildlife. >nited
States 'o1ern,ent) #$%%. *e-. %4 +pr. #$%!.
H5R. C*ells Fish Hatchery Master lan.C Do"las Co"nt# $UD. 5ouglas County >5) +pr.
#$%4. *e-. %# +pr. #$%!.
*right) Stephen &. CNortheast 0regon Hatchery rogra,.C %onneville $ower &dministration.
>nited States 'o1ern,ent) %% Mar. #$$6. *e-. %# +pr. #$%!.
*5F* ; #. CCapital 8udget Re2uest.C Washinton Department of Fish ! Wildlife. >nited States
'o1ern,ent) Spring #$%4. *e-. %4 +pr. #$%!.
8udget