TUESDAY, APRIL 23, 2013
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has awarded a $17.5 million contract to Taylor Brothers Marine Construction Co., of Wilmington, NC, for upkeep of the Battleship USS Texas.
The 573-foot-long by 95-foot-beam ship is the last remaining dreadnought-style vessel that was used in both world wars. Decommissioned in 1948, the USS Texas was the first U.S. battleship to be converted to a memorial museum.
Today, the floating museum is a popular tourist attraction, permanently anchored on the Buffalo Bayou and the busy Houston Ship Channel.
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| visitdeerpark.org |
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Commissioned in 1910 and decommissioned in 1948, the USS Texas was the first U.S. battleship to be converted to a museum. Restoration has been ongoing since the 1980s. |
The battleship museum is a “major attraction and a real big interest in Houston," said Julius Taylor, P.E., president of Taylor Brothers Marine Construction. "It’s a big deal to Texas.”
Two additional alternate work items were included as part of the final award amount.
Scope of Work
The USS Texas will undergo repairs on its deteriorating interior steel decking and its severely corroded framing along the bottom of the vessel. The framing serves as a support for two engine rooms.
“The engine rooms house triple expansion steam engines, and the extent of the corrosion was so severe that the owners were concerned that the engines would fall through the vessel,” Taylor said. Restoration of the deteriorating vessel has been ongoing since the 1980s.
New steel framing will be welded to the existing frame. Both the replacement deck and new steel frame will be abrasive blast-cleaned to a Near White finish (SSPC-SP 10), and coated with an epoxy system.
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| Battleship Texas State Historic Site |
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Built for $5.8 million, the USS Texas was the first ship to be declared a historic landmark, the first to launch an aircraft, and the first to have anti-aircraft guns installed onboard.   |
The project also includes abating hazardous materials, including the ship's existing paint, which is presumed to contain lead and asbestos. Containment is required.
History
The vessel was commissioned in 1910 with a construction price tag of $5.8 million, excluding armor and armament. Unsuccessfully tailed by a German submarine in 1941, the USS Texas survived the battle on the waters of the English Channel on D-Day.
It was also the first ship to be declared a historic landmark, the first to launch an aircraft, and the first to have anti-aircraft guns installed onboard, according to the Battleship Texas State Historic Site.
Reported by Paint BidTracker, a construction reporting service devoted to identifying contracting opportunities for the coatings community.
Tagged categories: Abrasive blasting; Contracts; Epoxy; Historic Preservation; Historic Structures; Maintenance coating work; Marine Coatings; Program/Project Management; SSPC
