Industrial GRP repair: tanks, bunds, cooling towers and pipework.
GRP plant fails in familiar ways: chemicals attack a tank wall, a bund joint opens up, a cooling-tower basin starts to seep. Where the structure is still sound, damage like this can often be repaired instead of replaced — usually on site, because the plant can't move.
- TANK OR BUND WALL
- CRACK MADE GOOD
- NEW GRP LINING
- SEALED PIPE ENTRY
- LINED FLOOR
Industrial GRP and FRP we repair.
GRP is also sold as FRP — fibre reinforced plastic. It is the same family of material, and the repair principles are the same.
Cooling towers
GRP basins, casings and other fibreglass components. Seepage and leaks at stress points in the basin are a typical problem.
Tanks & bunds
Storage and process tanks — including sectional tanks, lids and pipe connections — and GRP bunds and bund linings: cracks, leaks, failed joints and walls attacked by their contents.
Pipework
Weeping, cracked or delaminated GRP pipe. Whether a patch or wrap is suitable depends on the pressure, the contents and why the pipe failed.
Pressure pipework: scope to be confirmed · placeholderDucting
Cracked, holed or impact-damaged GRP duct sections and joints.
Cladding
Impact damage, cracking and weathered gelcoat on GRP cladding panels.
Walkways & gratings
Damaged GRP gratings, treads and walkway sections. A grating with cracked bars is usually replaced, not repaired.
How industrial GRP fails.
Leaks and seepage
Cooling-tower basins, tanks and bunds tend to leak at stress points, joints and pipe entries rather than through the middle of a panel.
Chemical attack
Stored contents can attack a tank wall or lining over time, weakening it until it leaks.
Cracks and movement
Bunds and linings crack through wear, weathering and movement in the structure beneath. Vegetation growing in a joint is a sign it has already opened.
Brittle plastic fill
The plastic fill pack inside a cooling tower turns brittle with age and is easily damaged. It is replaced, not repaired.
Pipe failures
GRP pipe can weep, crack or delaminate. The cause often lies in how the pipe was designed, installed or operated — which matters as much as the damage itself.
Impact
Vehicle and handling damage to cladding, ducting, gratings and tank shells.
Prepare, repair, reline.
Most industrial GRP repair comes down to preparation: a patch or lining is only as good as the surface it is bonded to. This is how the work is typically done.
Work on tanks and bunds holding fuel or chemicals: scope to be confirmed · placeholder
- 01Survey the item and its dutyWhat the item holds or carries and at what temperature, what it is built from — GRP, concrete, steel or plastic — and how far the damage goes. The resin for a repair or lining is chosen to suit the contents, so this comes first.
- 02PrepareThe item is drained, cleaned and dried, and surfaces are taken back to sound material — on tanks, bunds and basins, typically by abrasive blasting. It is noisy work that needs planning around the site.
- 03Repair the substrateCracks, voids and failed joints are opened up, filled and reinforced, and pipe entries are sealed, before any lining goes on.
- 04Laminate or relineLocal damage is rebuilt with new laminate. Where a whole surface has failed, a new GRP layer is laminated across the inside of the tank, bund or basin — relining — to restore watertightness and resistance to the contents.
- 05CureThe laminate has to cure fully before the item goes back into service.
Where the work happens.
On site
Cooling towers, tanks, bunds, pipework and fixed cladding are repaired where they stand. Tell us about access — working at height, confined spaces, how close a vehicle can get — and when the plant can be taken out of service. Where a site has several cooling towers it may be possible to work on one at a time so cooling is maintained; that depends on the installation.
In our workshop
Removable parts — duct sections, cladding panels, gratings, covers and lids — can be brought to our workshop.
- On-site coverage area: to be confirmed · placeholder
- Workshop address: to be confirmed · placeholder
Refurbish what's sound. Replace what isn't.
Repair or relining usually suits
- A shell or substrate that is structurally sound.
- Local damage: a crack, a failed joint, a leaking connection.
- A lining that is worn or attacked while the structure behind it is intact.
- Plant where replacement would mean long downtime or major disruption.
Replacement is usually better when
- The wall or substrate is too far gone for a lining to bridge.
- A pipe has failed outright, or a repair would have to carry pressure it cannot be designed for.
- The failure came from design, installation or operating conditions that a repair would not change.
How long a repair will last depends on the item, its duty and its condition, so it can't be stated before an inspection.
What to tell us.
- What the item is, and its approximate size or area.
- What it holds or carries, and at what temperature.
- What it is made of or built on: GRP, concrete, steel or plastic.
- Photos, plus any history of leaks or earlier repairs.
- Access: height, confined spaces, distance from vehicle access.
- When it can be taken out of service, and for how long.
- Whether it is part of your site's containment or pollution-prevention arrangements.
Industrial GRP repair questions.
Can a leaking GRP tank or bund be repaired instead of replaced?
Often, where the structure itself is sound. Cracks, leaks and failed joints are prepared, repaired and, where needed, lined. Whether that is the right answer for a particular tank or bund needs an inspection: a wall badly thinned by chemical attack may be beyond repair.
What does relining involve?
The existing surface is prepared, typically by abrasive blasting back to sound material. Defects are filled, then a new layer of GRP is laminated over the inside of the tank, bund or basin to restore watertightness and chemical resistance.
Does it matter what the tank holds?
Yes. The resin is chosen for the contents — water, fuel, chemicals and effluent each make different demands — and for the operating temperature.
Can a cracked or weeping GRP pipe be repaired?
Sometimes. Local damage can be repaired with a laminate or composite wrap on a prepared surface; severe damage can mean replacing the section. A repair that carries pressure has to be designed for it, and the cause dealt with, or it will recur.
Can a cooling tower stay in service while it is repaired?
It depends on the installation. Where a site has several towers they can sometimes be taken out of service one at a time. Work on a basin needs the basin drained.
Will the work disrupt the site?
Surface preparation can be noisy, abrasive blasting in particular, so it needs planning around site hours, access and what is nearby. Tell us about any working restrictions when you enquire.
What does a bund repair need to achieve?
A bund is secondary containment: it has to hold what the tank inside it could release. A repair aims to restore that seal, including at joints and pipe entries. If your bund is part of a regulated containment system, check the requirements for your site with your regulator or environmental adviser.
Not quite what you have?
Tell us what's leaking, cracked or worn.
Item, contents, size and access — and we'll come back to you about a repair.