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Maintaining streets and managing sanitation operations for a city of three million people are significant responsibilities for Chicago's Department of Streets and Sanitation. Included among these responsibilities is the restoration of graffiti-marred city-owned structures./

Sand blasting did remove the graffiti, but it also removed brick finishes, mortar and the top layer of concrete. Sand blasting an Art Museum statue on Logan Square "rounded" the statue's stone, changing its architectural aesthetics. Looking for a less destructive method of removing graffiti, the Bureau investigated various chemical processes. Most of these presented hazardous conditions, and those that didn't, did not clean effectively.

The Bureau's evaluation of the ARMEX Cleaning and Coating Removal Systems revealed that it typically removes paints and other coatings at a rate of between one and two square feet per minute and that the media consumption is approximately two pounds per square foot of area depainted. These features reduce the amount of time and materials normally required with sand blasting and its inherent work area clean up.

The Bureau's evaluation also revealed that the environmentally sensible formulation, ARMEX® Blast Media permits easy, inexpensive and ecologically sound disposal of spent media waste.

The Bureau is using the process to remove graffiti from city-owned buildings and structures including government offices, bus shelters, telephone booths, schools, highway overpasses, monuments, libraries and, of course, statues. The process is used to clean brick, concrete, stone, glass – anything that has been marred by graffiti.

To maximize the portability of the process, the Bureau customized a truck to carry one ACCUSTRIP System. The "Baking Soda Truck," as it is fondly referred to, is one of a kind. Soon the city will have a "fleet" of Baking Soda Trucks rolling to erase the graffiti from the city's buildings and monuments.

Application Overview:

The Colorado Springs Police Department found an unlikely way to finance its war on graffiti. Using a VALE grant (Victims Assistance to Law Enforcement), the police department purchased an ACCUSTRIP SYSTEM®. The department loans out the system to nonprofit organizations whose volunteers use it to clean city buildings.

Previous Methods:

Painting over the graffiti the primary removal method sometimes looked just as unsightly as the graffiti itself. The city also tried a citrus spray which police officials say could not compare with the effectiveness of the ARMEX® Cleaning and Coating Removal System.

Substrates:

The most common surfaces marred by graffiti are concrete, brick, wood, and metal.

Special Concerns:

Since volunteers would be handling the cleaning, the process needed to be safe and easy to use. Disposal also was a concern.

Equipment Specifications:

The ACCUSTRIP SYSTEM® Model 12X uses a 185 cmf Sullair compressor and a 200-gallon plastic water tank. All components are mounted on a 15-foot flatbed trailer for mobility. HydroFlex® Formula XL with SupraKleen® Rinse Accelerator is blasted at 30-40 psi approximately 18 inches from the substrate. A standard Hi-Pro nozzle is used.

Containment:

None.

Project Schedule:

Since 1994, the police department had provided its four-hour training session to 65 people at 27 different agencies. Once a group has received training, they contact the police department to schedule time to use the equipment. Originally, police provided the equipment only and required the organizations to purchase the media. However, the police were able to secure more grant money for this very successful project, and they now also fund the media requirements. To date, volunteers have removed approximately 25,000 square feet on 140 sites.

Results/Benefits Summary:

In the first half of 1995, volunteers donated 75 hours of time to clean-up, saving the police nearly $4000 in man-hours had they done the work themselves. The program is so effective at removing graffiti that frustrated graffiti-writers recently broke into the police impound and sprayed the truck – which police easily removed using the ARMEX Cleaning and Coating Removal System.