Restoring Rusted Steel Structures with Kee Klamp
Years ago, our local YMCA reached out to us regarding fittings on their structure that began to rust and put their waterslide out of commission. 
As you can imagine, the kids of the YMCA were not happy about this turn of events!
This is where we found Tom Ward. He needed a solution, and fast! Tom contacted our projects team to see if we could provide a solution. We came up with two options: 1) rebuild the entire structure from scratch or 2) try and fix the damaged portion.
Upon further investigation we discovered that most of the structure was in pretty good shape. It was only a few connections that had constant attention to the chlorinated water that need to be replaced. Tom and our projects team determined that only the bottom half needed to be replaced. This was made possible because of Kee Klamp pipe fittings. If this had been a welded solution, we would have needed to rebuild the entire structure. This ended up saving Tom hundreds of dollars.
Tom and his team were able to piece this slide back together with ease. The hardest part was raising it up in the air for repairs. Once elevated though, they were able to cut the pipe away and join the new pipe for the base. For simplicity, we used the 14-8 straight coupling to join the upper and new lower frame together. In just a short time, this slide was made operational again.
Making the Right Choice - Aluminum Would be Better
This entire slide was built using size 8 (1-½" Sch. 40) pipe and fittings. The original builders opted to use the galvanized fittings and pipe. In this harsh condition, the galvanized fittings at the bottom lasted for 10 years before rusting through! If we had to design this structure over again we would have recommended using Kee Lite aluminum fittings. These fittings are similar in strength to the steel, but provide more corrosion resistance for this type of application.
The inflatable slide was purchased through Airspace Solutions. In just minutes, this whole dragon themed slide was at full size.
Do you need to make a repair to rusting or delapidated steel structure? Before you trash it, call us and see if we can help! Reach out to our projects team!
