Reflecting on a project of a lifetime

When I pulled up to the world's third-largest usable space building, I knew I had to leave any fear of heights in the car.

This was in spring 2005, when I visited NASA’s Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) in Cape Canaveral, Fla. My task was to examine how cathodic protection (CP) would stop the roof degradation of a national architectural landmark.

It’s not often that we get the opportunity to work on one of the most recognized buildings in the country, if not the world. So we were thrilled when NASA chose our conductive coating system -- the MATCOR CPBD-III -- as a long-term solution against the concrete roof's cracking, delamination, and spalling.

At first glance, I wondered how I would make it to the top of the 525-foot structure. The answer: an external steel construction elevator along the side of the building.

But before I made the climb with a NASA escort, every item I had on me was carefully examined. This went beyond accounting for loose change in pockets. It meant such detail as taping the stone in my college ring so it wouldn’t dislodge and fall on NASA personnel or assets.

The NASA message was clear: Safety in the air and on the ground came first. That was our mission. We were there to protect NASA employees and visitors from leaks and debris falling from the roof.

Indeed, the VAB roof had been deteriorating for years, to the point where NASA had to install a steel sub-roof to catch the concrete chunks. NASA technical liaisons then looked to stop corrosion of the conventional, steel-reinforced concrete roof.

NASA awarded that portion of the project to Cathodic Protection Technology, a MATCOR licensee in Florida and key partner on the project. CPT President Jim Emory joined me to examine the 214,500 square-foot surface area.

The material scope and logistics of this project were one of the most extensive MATCOR has engineered. With all items heading up the same construction elevator that took me to the top, the installation required a high level of logistics and planning.

Special features included maintenance considerations, such as installation of remote monitoring units (RMUs), so system parameters and activity could be monitored anywhere.

We commissioned the final customized system in February 2006 with eight separate CP zones. We left Florida knowing that one of our national landmarks was fully protected, and feeling completely pumped up that we had been involved.