Restore integrity, prevent downtime, and extend service life
Cooling towers live hard lives in Arizona—UV exposure, thermal cycling, dust, and aggressive water chemistry all accelerate wear. Cracks, spalls, and corroded steel aren’t cosmetic; they threaten structural capacity, thermal performance, and safety. Bunney’s Inc. delivers engineered structural repairs for cooling towers that return assets to spec with minimal outage time—serving power generation, water/wastewater, and industrial facilities across Arizona.
New to Bunney’s? Learn who we are and explore our capabilities.
What we repair
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Basins & decks: crack injection, joint rehab, leak sealing, resurfacing, and protective linings
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Columns, walls & diaphragms: spall removal, rebar cleaning/encapsulation, patching, jackets, and section rebuilds
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Framing & supports: FRP/steel members, fill supports, drift-eliminator frames, hot-water basins and weirs
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Access & safety: ladders, platforms, handrail repairs and OSHA-compliant upgrades
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Coatings & corrosion control: surface prep (CSP), immersion-grade linings, elastomeric/epoxy systems, hardware upgrades
Signs your tower needs structural repair
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Rising approach temperature or uneven cell performance
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Visible concrete cracking, delamination, or rust staining
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Basin leakage, excessive makeup water, or chemical consumption
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Vibration, misalignment, or fastener corrosion on fan decks/supports
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Damaged louvers, fill supports, or drift-eliminator frames
Our repair process
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Assessment & plan — condition walkdown, NDE where required, photos, and repair mapping with phasing/outage plan
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Selective demo & prep — controlled removal, surface profiling, moisture mitigation, and reinforcing exposure
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Reinforcement & rebuild — rebar treatment, form/patch, structural overlays, or composite strengthening (CFRP/FRCM)
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Coatings & protection — linings for basins/immersion zones; UV- and chemical-resistant topcoats elsewhere
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QA/QC & turnover — cure monitoring, pull/adhesion tests as applicable, torque/vibration logs, and photo documentation
Arizona-tested materials & standards
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Materials: polymer-modified and sulfate-resistant repair mortars, high-build epoxies, elastomeric linings, UV-stable FRP systems, corrosion-inhibiting primers
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Standards we follow: ACI 318/562 (repair), ACI 224 (cracking), ACI 546 (concrete repair), ACI 440 (FRP), relevant ASTM prep/testing, CTI guidance for cooling tower components, and OSHA safety practices
Why facilities choose Bunney’s Inc.
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Outage-friendly execution: phasing by cell, night/weekend shifts, parallel crews
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Industrial-only focus: experience on live utility and process sites with strict compliance requirements
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Quality you can verify: inspection reports, coating data sheets, cure logs, adhesion/vibration records, and closeout photos
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Built for Arizona: repair designs and materials selected for extreme heat, UV, dust, and monsoon exposure
FAQs
What’s the difference between patching and structural repair?
Patching restores appearance and surface continuity. Structural repair addresses load-bearing capacity—removing unsound material, treating steel, replacing section depth, and protecting against future corrosion.
Can repairs be completed with units online?
Often, yes. Many scopes (column/joint repairs, localized coatings, access upgrades) can be sequenced cell-by-cell to maintain generation or process cooling.
How long do repairs last?
Service life depends on exposure and maintenance, but engineered repairs with proper coatings commonly add 5–15+ years when water chemistry and drift are controlled.
How do you address active leaks in basins?
We pair crack injection and joint rehab with immersion-grade lining systems and substrate preparation that meets the specified CSP profile and moisture tolerance.
Do you provide composite strengthening (CFRP/FRCM)?
Yes. Where loading or section loss warrants it, we design and install CFRP/FRCM systems per ACI 440/549 for columns, beams, and shear zones.
What documentation will we receive?
Submittals, ITPs, batch and coating data, repair maps, cure/adhesion/vibration records, and final photo logs—organized for audit and long-term O&M.
Can you improve thermal performance during structural work?
Frequently. While inside the cell, we can renew fill, nozzles, drift eliminators, and distribution to reduce approach temperature and parasitic load.
How do you prevent corrosion from returning?
Remove chloride-contaminated concrete, passivate/encapsulate steel, use corrosion-inhibiting primers, restore cover, and apply compatible protective coatings; address water chemistry and drift sources.
