Corrosion Innovations is proud to share that HoldTight® 102 was recently featured in a CoatingsPro Magazine article highlighting the recoating of the Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope in Green Bank, West Virginia.
The Green Bank Telescope is the world’s largest fully steerable radio telescope, standing nearly 485 feet tall and weighing approximately 17 million pounds. Located within the National Radio Quiet Zone, the structure presents a unique set of challenges for maintenance crews, engineers, inspectors, and coatings professionals.
According to the CoatingsPro article, the telescope’s original protective coating system had reached the end of its useful life, prompting a multi-year recoating program to preserve the structure’s integrity. The project required careful planning around access, containment, weather conditions, communication limitations, and surface preparation standards.
As part of the recoating process, the crew used wet abrasive blasting to control dust while achieving the required surface profile. The article notes that HoldTight® 102 was introduced into the blast water to help minimize flash rusting on the newly exposed steel substrate.
For Corrosion Innovations, this project is a strong example of how proper surface preparation plays a critical role in long-term coating performance, especially on complex steel structures exposed to challenging environmental conditions.
“We are proud to see HoldTight included in a project of this scale and significance,” said Gregg Taney, CEO of Corrosion Innovations. “The Green Bank Telescope is an iconic structure, and its preservation requires the kind of disciplined surface preparation and corrosion control practices that are essential to successful coatings work.”
The full CoatingsPro article, “Radio Silence: ‘Great Big Thing’: New Coatings Preserve Green Bank Telescope,” details the project’s technical challenges, safety considerations, and recoating process.