Lincoln Reflecting Pool Sheds Polyurea Coating After $15 Million Renovation, Prompting Failure Probe
Updated
Updated · Scientific American · Jun 22
Lincoln Reflecting Pool Sheds Polyurea Coating After $15 Million Renovation, Prompting Failure Probe
3 articles · Updated · Scientific American · Jun 22
Summary
Chunks of blue polyurea have peeled from the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool just days after the renovation finished, with the contractor and National Park Service identifying areas that need repair.
Experts said the failure was likely multifactorial rather than caused solely by algae or hydrogen peroxide, pointing instead to possible adhesion problems, surface preparation errors and the choice to apply the coating over granite.
A roughly five-week timeline may also have left too little margin for proper layer bonding, while heavy equipment, trucks and even a presidential motorcade could have stressed the surface during application.
Atlantic Industrial Coatings said the damage affects only a small part of the 7-acre project and will be fixed under warranty once the pool is drained.
The renovation was ordered by President Donald Trump in April and swelled from under $2 million to nearly $15 million; Trump has blamed a 250-foot vandalism gash, but specialists say only a full failure analysis can determine the cause.