After the completion of the lighthouse on Vlieland, the Scheveningen lighthouse was also delivered by SealteQ to Rijkswaterstaat. The renovation work was halted for a long time due to the discovery of Chromium-6 in the old coating of the lighthouse. The work, which started in the summer of 2018, was supposed to be completed in October but was only resumed in May 2019. However, the Scheveningen lighthouse was not the only lighthouse where Chromium-6 was found. Chromium-6 was also discovered in the old coating of four other lighthouses treated by SealteQ. The lighthouses in Burgh Haamstede, Egmond aan Zee, and Noordwijk were all further investigated for Chromium-6. As a result, work on these lighthouses was also halted to eliminate health risks.
Renovation of Scheveningen lighthouse completed
Removal of old coating
The old coating of the lighthouse was removed using induction. Induction is a process where the steel is briefly heated, causing the coating to lose its adhesion. A major advantage of this process is that no dust is released, making it an extremely suitable method for removing Chromium-6. Unfortunately, induction could not be applied everywhere on the lighthouse to remove the coating. On the detailed surface of the lighthouse, the coating was removed using sponge blasting. In sponge blasting, the grit particle is enclosed by a PE Sponge. During blasting, the blasting dust is absorbed by the sponge, resulting in a significant reduction in dust. We have taken the necessary safety measures while performing these tasks.
New Coating System
After the old coating of the lighthouse was removed, the lighthouse was blasted to a cleanliness grade of Sa 2½ according to ISO 8501-1/2. This is necessary to ensure that the new coating system adheres well to the cast iron surface. Subsequently, a four-layer coating system was applied. Just like the lighthouse on Vlieland, the bottom three meters of the lighthouse consist of an anti-graffiti coating with a natural transition. Thanks to the application of the four-layer coating system, the lighthouse is protected against corrosion for the coming years. Are you curious about the possibilities SealteQ can offer you regarding the removal of Chromium-6 or the preservation of steel on-site? Please feel free to contact one of our branches.