The Ritec Boat
Ritecoat Makes Bee Line for Tallest Tower
The stunning Queen Bee sculpture adorning the outside of Melbourne’s Eureka Tower - the world’s tallest residential building - has been protected from surface tarnishing and corrosion by Ritecoat...
Developed by Ritec International, Ritecoat converts high-maintenance surfaces into low-maintenance, ‘non-stick’ surfaces that are resistant to discolouration and corrosion from natural weathering, UV light, chemical attack and even graffiti. Local Ritecoat applicator, Roylston Surface Restorers and Protectors, renovated and treated the anodised aluminium sculpture to keep it looking like new with minimal maintenance.
The sculpture by Melbourne artist Richard Stringer is suspended 30 metres from ground level and was commissioned as a unique artistic feature for the magnificent tower by its architect, Nonda Katsalidis. It consists of a queen bee, the size of a small van, and twelve smaller bees. Each bee is made up of anodised aluminium plates approximately 100mm x 100mm and pop-riveted to a fibreglass shell.
In addition to providing Ritecoat’s durable protection for the Queen Bee sculpture in situ, Roylston’s team also resolved a problem that arose during its construction. John Aspinall of Roylston explains, “Silicone had been applied where the panels overlapped and had inadvertently smeared over the sculpture as the artist tried to clean them up. Removal using normal cleaning methods was not successful, but a solution was found in Ritec’s specialist SE-550 Silicone Eater.” This non-aggressive liquid digests both cured and uncured silicone sealants from a range of surfaces, leaving a 100% silicone-free surface. John Aspinall continues, “Once the surfaces were completely clean, we applied the Ritecoat treatment.”
With the Ritecoat protection complete, the Queen Bee sculpture was craned into position on the Eureka Tower. Summing up, John Aspinall says, “The application of Ritecoat has actually enhanced the colour of the aluminium and reduced the required maintenance. The latter is a particular benefit, as frequent access to clean the sculpture at such a height would be both difficult and costly.”
Ritecoat has been specially developed by Ritec to renovate and protect interior and exterior surfaces, both coated and non-coated, such as brushed stainless steel and aluminium. Treated surfaces are easier to clean and maintain using Ritec’s simple after-care programme - thereby saving cost, time and effort. Graffiti and other forms of contamination are removed quickly and easily without harsh abrasives, so the original surface and Ritecoat protection remain intact.
Based in Belmont in the Australian state of Victoria, Roylston Pty Ltd has been working with Ritec for over 10 years. In addition to Ritecoat, the company also offers Ritec’s award-winning ClearShield glass surface protection technology, developed to convert ordinary glass surfaces into ‘non-stick’, easy-to-clean glass. With ClearShield and Ritecoat, Roylston has established a strong client base spans and its experienced team provides a surface restoration and protection service to a diverse range of applications from ships and multi-storey buildings to bridges and shower screens.
To find out more about the Ritecoat System, please click here.