Slickcoat® Anti-Friction Coating
Slickcoat® is an abrasion resistant silicone epoxy anti-friction coating that is applied to piles prior to driving in order to reduce negative skin friction when downdrag from the soil is a concern. With its excellent bond breaking characteristics, this water based friction-reducing coating can also be applied to drilled shaft casings and sheet piles in order to enhance penetration and extraction.
View the Slickcoat® Anti-Friction Pile Coating brochure.
The safe choice for friction reduction pile coating, Slickcoat® anti-friction pile coating is a non-hazardous alternative to bitumen coating
Slickcoat® friction-reducing coating is a great substitute for bitumen coating, which can often be unreliable, costly, hazardous to work with and difficult to maintain on the pile surface during driving, especially under high temperatures. Slickcoat® can be applied with conventional equipment and can be cleaned up with water without leaching toxins or other hazardous chemicals into the surrounding environment.
After applied, the piling surfaces stay clean and highly resistant to corrosion and common construction chemicals. Once it’s bonded to the pile or casing and cured, it turns into a durable, waterproof low friction coating that stays in place even in hot weather. The result is an excellent friction reduction slip plane between the piling and the surrounding soils.
Advantages of using Slickcoat® low friction reduction coating:
- Environmentally friendly
- Safe alternative to traditional friction reduction methods
- Durable abrasion resistance
- Reduces the effects of frost heave
- Prolongs the life of piles, sheets and casings
- Reduces tidal friction on submerged piling
Testing Friction Reduction with Slickcoat®
For more information on the effectiveness of Slickcoat® anti friction coating, see the results below on axial tension (uplift) tests performed on Slickcoat® coated piles vs. plain and galvanized steel piles. This study illustrates how using a low friction coating such as Slickcoat® can be used to substantially decrease shaft resistance in both short and long term behavior of coated piles. The University of Massachusetts in conjunction with Geoenvironmental, Inc. of Boston, MA, conducted these pile friction reduction tests.
Uplift Resistance of Slickcoat Coated Driven Steel Piles - Presentation
Uplift Resistance of Slickcoat Coated Driven Steel Piles - Test Report
Solar Farm Applications
In areas where seasonal freeze-thaw cycles make driven piles susceptible to frost heave, Slickcoat® can be applied. Once cured, piles can be driven into the ground without the need for auguring or backfilling, providing a robust, environmentally-friendly solution for frost heave mitigation.
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