The Port Newark-Elizabeth Marine Terminal is one of the busiest ports in the world. It is the largest container port in the eastern United States and the third largest in the country. It’s the main container facility for goods entering and exiting the New York metropolitan area and the northeastern quadrant of North America. However, the facility is older. Initially, construction began on it in the 1910s. Many of its storage warehouses were built in the 1950s, and the aluminum corrugated panels on the roofs had developed extensive leaks due to the harsh weather conditions.

The Challenge

The Northeastern United States is known for its harsh weather. Hot, humid summers give way to cold winters. Decades of these extreme temperature fluctuations resulted in the constant expansion and contraction of the metal roof panels on the Port’s warehouses, leading to significant leaks and jeopardizing the integrity of the warehouses. The Port Authority needed a reliable roof coating system to address these issues and ensure the long-term functionality of these vital structures.

The Solution

Initially, the Port Authority specified a 30 mil elastomeric acrylic roof coating system for the panels with seam reinforcement. Acrymax and one of our approved applicators won the first project in a competitive bidding process. The Port Authority’s specification required the reinforcement of all panel seams before applying a 30 mil elastomeric coating over the entire roof. Acrymax’s initial project was a resounding success but the Port put the next project out for bid, as required. 

In an effort to cut costs and win the bid, the party chosen for the second project proposed a different coating system. This system skipped the step of reinforcing the seams, relying instead on a simple seam sealer. This shortcut proved inadequate and failed to address the constant expansion and contraction of the metal panels, especially at the critical seams. This led to continued leaks and more costly repairs for the Port Authority.

Acrymax, committed to our “Beyond-the-Bucket™” service, reached out to propose a revised solution for the Port Authority that would provide better performance and increased cost savings. The original specification called for 45 mils of coating on the seams and 30 mils on the roof panels. Acrymax proposed substituting a high-strength elastomeric coating as a finish coat instead of the standard as required in the original spec. 

With this change for the finish coat, the overall dry film thickness of the acrylic roof coating could be reduced from 30 mils to 20 mils. This approach meant using less material and lowering the overall cost of the project. The Port Authority was on board. Their past experience with Acrymax has proven the value of our quality, long-lasting solutions. 

The Result

Impressed with Acrymax’s expertise and previous performance, the Port Authority adopted the revised specification, mandating the use of Acrymax roof coatings to ensure optimal results. No substitutions were allowed. In the ensuing years, multiple warehouse roofs at the Port totaling over 1,000,000 square feet were successfully coated with the Acrymax system.