Monorail beam cleaning?

[Phil12]

Encourage local gang members to come out to WDW in the early morning hours (when the monorail is not running) and have them spray paint graffiti on the beams every night. Disney would have to set some ground rules such as no profanity but I feel confident they could work out a plan with the local Orlando gangs.

WDW would get fresh paint on the beams on a regular basis and the competition between gangs would keep the art at a high level. WDW could even require a theme for the graffiti.

 

[marni1971]

...said no one.

 

[JoeCamel]

I found an old topic on details and structural integrity of the beams-
https://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/does-the-monorail-track-get-rehabbed.38781/

Concrete is capable of lasting an obscenely long time if properly constructed, even with substantial use and wear. Though it can be easily damaged as any other material if built poorly. Apparently the monorail beams are very well built. Any work they ever need is probably very minor, such as resurfacing (which is addressed in that thread).

Leaving mold or mildews alone can also cause more damage in the long run than cleaning it off, even to concrete. It can absorb into surfaces and help trap moisture in.

Not sure why you linked another thread with the same actors. I don't see anyone there who has direct experience with high pressure water on concrete. if left in place it can cut completely through the beam given time.
I have worked in the concrete industry for years and am intimate with both sandblasting and pressure washing. Both have to be done carefully or damage will occur. The beams should be cleaner, they have in the past and IMO should be in the future. How WDW will/should accomplish this is up to them and I am sure they will seek the best advice on current best practices. I would like to see faux painting to look like real concrete but maybe that money would be better spent on car maintenance and replacement.
The pictures of the clean beam near the TTC probably show what was done so the marketing department could shoot an ad to promote the parks. They only cleaned what was necessary for the shoot. TDO is fully aware of what the beams look like, they just need to find the will that was present in the 80's and 90's. Too bad all those people are long gone.

 

[John park hopper]

I was going through some old pictures and found a post card from 1977 (when we stayed at the Contemporary resort) it's of the Contemporary and monorail. I could not believe how clean and gleaming white it was, wish they could bring it back to that condition

 

[trainplane3]

I was going through some old pictures and found a post card from 1977 (when we stayed at the Contemporary resort) it's of the Contemporary and monorail. I could not believe how clean and gleaming white it was, wish they could bring it back to that condition

The monorail or the beams?

 

[John park hopper]

The rails (beams? and the piers holding the rials were white and the cars looked clean. I'll try and post a picture of the post card

 

[JoeCamel]

Would it be this one from bigbrian-nc's webpage? @John park hopper

 

[trainplane3]

The rails (beams? and the piers holding the rials were white and the cars looked clean. I'll try and post a picture of the post card

I know what you meant. I was just kidding since some of the monorails don't look particularly great. The entire system (beams and monorails) can look great in some areas and bleh in others.

 

[John park hopper]

Would it be this one from bigbrian-nc's webpage? @John park hopper

View attachment 253158

That's it

 

[BoarderPhreak]

I can't imagine they couldn't do stretches of the beams at night when the power's off and pressure wash them. Then come up behind and paint and/or repair what needs doing.

As for the pressure washing, you just need water. The pressure does the work.

 

[peter11435]

As for the pressure washing, you just need water. The pressure does the work.

It also can damage the concrete over time.

 

[BoarderPhreak]

It also can damage the concrete over time.

That can be mitigated by adjusting the pattern and pressure. It wouldn't damage the beams any more than manual scrubbing (which would literally take forever).

 

[John park hopper]

Not a concrete person but with all the biodegradable cleaners out now there must be one out there that can clean mold and dirt via a pressure washer

 

[peter11435]

That can be mitigated by adjusting the pattern and pressure. It wouldn't damage the beams any more than manual scrubbing (which would literally take forever).

Mitigated but not eliminated.

 

[BoarderPhreak]

Mitigated but not eliminated.

I doubt it's of any consequence either way. Nobody's scrubbing those beams manually.

 

[peter11435]

I doubt it's of any consequence either way. Nobody's scrubbing those beams manually.

I’m not referring to scrubbing.

Pressure washing routinely over the course of decades slowly deteriorates concrete. Obviously they do it occasionally. Just not as often as we would like to see.

As concrete ages it will develop dirt mold and mildew more quickly.

 

[BoarderPhreak]

I’m not referring to scrubbing.

Pressure washing routinely over the course of decades slowly deteriorates concrete. Obviously they do it occasionally. Just not as often as we would like to see.

As concrete ages it will develop dirt mold and mildew more quickly.

Of course, everything will wear on the concrete. But pressure washing is the way to go and surely what they use. If the concentration and pressure is kept reasonable, it's perfectly fine. The alternative is chemicals and a rinse to remove the grunge and rubber.

The concrete is then painted, as evidenced by the other threads (linked above) from 2010 and 2015. It has the benefit of providing a fairly resilient coating and filling in small defects (e.g. cracks, air bubbles, etc.). Personally, I'd stick with a water resistant coating, but it's not as pretty/healing.

 

[peter11435]

Of course, everything will wear on the concrete. But pressure washing is the way to go and surely what they use. If the concentration and pressure is kept reasonable, it's perfectly fine. The alternative is chemicals and a rinse to remove the grunge and rubber.

The concrete is then painted, as evidenced by the other threads (linked above) from 2010 and 2015. It has the benefit of providing a fairly resilient coating and filling in small defects (e.g. cracks, air bubbles, etc.). Personally, I'd stick with a water resistant coating, but it's not as pretty/healing.

Most of the beams are not painted.

Pressure washing is the way to go and it is what they do. My point is just that you can’t do it constantly or the already aging beams will age faster. And as the beams have aged they appear in need of cleaning faster than decades ago.

 

[BoarderPhreak]

Most of the beams are not painted.

Pressure washing is the way to go and it is what they do. My point is just that you can’t do it constantly or the already aging beams will age faster. And as the beams have aged they appear in need of cleaning faster than decades ago.

Of course, just the most visible ones. Painting is a losing proposition. It looks great when fresh, but doesn't age well as it will peel and flake, build up in other spots. Thus why I think a simple waterproofing coating is better. It's not readily visible, sheds water (at least for a while) and doesn't get shabby like paint will... Just slowly disappear.

Naturally, any of these cleaning actions will wear the concrete faster in terms of surface; that's why they get dirtier faster - the surface gets rougher... And why a post-cleaning treatment is even more important. Thankfully there's little worry over frost damage in Florida (though not unheard of). Water getting into cracks and crevices and then freezing would really shorten the lifespan of the concrete.

 

[Sean P. Frawley]

While I was in Disney April 2017, I was talking to a monorail veteran cast member at the Contemporary around the time the system was closing. I brought up the Epcot beam and he says that Disney hired people to paint/refurbish the beam ways. They started with the Epcot beam and he claims that they were fired due to carelessness and causing damage to the buildings/roadways/pedestrian areas below. At the time of the conversation, Disney had no plans to continue refurbishing the beam way to that extent.