Stopaq: The Smart Solution for Tank Chime Repair and Long-Term Corrosion Protection

For decades, Stopaq has led the industry in visco-elastic coating innovation—delivering corrosion protection solutions trusted by asset owners around the world since 1988. Designed to bond permanently to virtually any substrate with minimal surface preparation, Stopaq products are known for their ease of use, reliability, and environmental safety.

When it comes to storage tank protection, few areas are more critical—or more challenging—than the tank chime. This narrow, hard-to-reach space where the tank shell meets the foundation is especially prone to corrosion caused by trapped moisture, poor drainage, and environmental exposure. Stopaq provides a simple, proven, and long-lasting solution.

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A Complete System for Tank Chime Sealing

The Stopaq tank chime repair system combines three key components that work together to deliver a comprehensive corrosion barrier:

1. Stopaq 4200 Filler – A highly viscous, non-curing material that flows into cracks, voids, and irregular gaps around the tank chime area. It effectively eliminates pathways for moisture ingress, even in tight or complex geometries.

2. Stopaq Wrappingband EZ – A flexible, visco-elastic coating that permanently seals and protects the substrate. It adapts to movement, vibration, and temperature changes, maintaining a continuous, water-tight barrier for decades.

3. Stopaq Primer and Topcoat – Used as part of the system to strengthen concrete, improve adhesion, and deliver a clean, finished look.

Together, these products form a permanent, flexible, and non-toxic protective system that dramatically extends the life of tank bottoms and foundations.

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Why Stopaq is the Smart Choice for Tank Chime Repairs

Deep Penetration and Adhesion
Stopaq 4200 Filler penetrates deeply into micro-cracks and irregularities, ensuring that every potential moisture path is sealed.

Minimal Surface Preparation
Unlike conventional coatings that demand blasting and extensive cleaning, Stopaq materials require only minor surface preparation—saving time, labor, and cost.

Non-Toxic and Installer-Friendly
Stopaq products are completely non-toxic and free from VOCs, making them safe for both applicators and the environment.

Ideal for Confined or Narrow Spaces
4200 Filler easily reaches gaps between the tank skirt and foundation, bolt threads, and other areas where traditional coatings struggle to perform.

Flexible and Non-Curing
Because both 4200 Filler and Wrappingband EZ remain flexible, they won’t crack, harden, or lose adhesion over time. The result is lifelong corrosion prevention with zero stress buildup.

Easy Application and Integration
Wrappingband EZ’s non-woven surface allows it to be overcoated or insulated after installation. The filler can be applied precisely using injection tools—streamlining application and minimizing waste.

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Lifelong Protection for Critical Assets

By combining Stopaq 4200 Filler with Wrappingband EZ, operators achieve robust, long-lasting protection against water ingress and corrosion in the critical tank chime area. This system not only prevents future damage but also extends the overall lifespan and structural integrity of storage tanks.

When your goal is long-term corrosion prevention with minimal downtime and maximum reliability, Stopaq provides the smart, proven solution.

1973 Raychem Job Site Photos

 A Trip Down Memory Lane: 

The Early Days of Raychem Shrink Sleeves

Every once in a while, it’s fun to take a step back and look at how far our industry has come. The pipeline coating world is built on decades of innovation — and some of the most significant milestones trace back to one name that started it all: Raychem.

It was July of 1973, in Mt. Carmel, Texas. A 4-inch line was being installed.  Raychem shrink sleeves were being used to coat the field joints. At the time, this was cutting-edge technology. The concept of using heat-shrinkable polymer materials to protect steel pipelines from corrosion was still relatively new — and Raychem was at the forefront of it all.

The Original Field Joint Coating: TPS

Back then, TPS was Raychem’s primary field joint coating system. Simple in design but incredibly effective for its time, TPS used a crosslinked polyethylene backing combined with a bitumen mastic sealant. The material was supplied as a slip-on tube, which meant that it had to be placed on the pipe before welding.

Once the weld was complete and the surface was cleaned, the TPS sleeve would be positioned over the joint and heated. The crosslinked PE backing would shrink tightly around the pipe, and the mastic would flow to create a seal that protected the bare steel from moisture, soil, and corrosion.

For many who worked in the field during the 1970s, that smell of bitumen and the sight of those black shrink sleeves sealing up the line became part of daily life.

Pipe Coatings of the Time

The mainline coating on that job was likely Extrucoat, applied by either Plexco or Standard Pipe Protection — two names that were synonymous with high-quality polyethylene coatings at the time. Both companies were key players in the evolution of pipeline corrosion protection and helped pave the way for the coating systems we rely on today.

(If anyone reading this knows more about that particular project or who supplied the coating — we’d love to hear it!)

From Raychem to Covalence

Over time, Raychem’s heat shrink technology evolved, and so did the company itself. Raychem eventually became Covalence Heat Shrinkable Products, now part of Seal For Life Industries and Henkel — a group that continues to build on Raychem’s legacy of innovation.

The same core principles remain: easy installation, reliable corrosion protection, and long-term performance in some of the toughest environments imaginable.

TPS: Still Around After All These Years

What’s even more impressive? The TPS system is still available today — over 50 years after it first appeared in the field. While it no longer uses a bitumen mastic sealant (modern versions have improved formulations), it’s still a trusted and proven system for 2" through 8" pipe sizes.

In a world where technology changes at lightning speed, that kind of staying power says a lot. It’s a testament to the solid engineering behind the original Raychem design and the ongoing commitment to quality from Covalence.

A Legacy That Stuck

For those of us who’ve been around this industry for a while, it’s more than just nostalgia — it’s history. Every new pipeline technology owes something to the early innovators who saw a better way to protect steel from corrosion.

From Raychem’s pioneering work in shrink sleeves to Covalence’s continued innovation today, the story of TPS and its evolution is a great reminder that good ideas — and good products — really do stand the test of time.

How BBS Pipe Bumpers Keep Multi-Line Pulls Protected

 

Bundled Road Bores: How BBS Pipe Bumpers Keep Multi-Line Pulls Protected

As the United States becomes more and more saturated with existing pipelines — and as securing new right-of-ways becomes increasingly difficult — we’ve noticed a steady rise in bundled directional drilling projects (also called bundled road bores).

If you’re unfamiliar with the concept, a bundled bore is very similar to a standard horizontal directional drill (HDD) or road bore, with one key difference: instead of pulling a single pipeline through the bore hole, multiple pipelines are pulled through at the same time.

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Why Bundled Bores Are Becoming More Common

There are several reasons why bundled directional drilling is gaining momentum across the pipeline industry:

• Limited right-of-way availability: With so much existing infrastructure already in the ground, it’s becoming harder and harder to secure new corridors.

• Reduced environmental impact: By drilling once instead of multiple times, operators minimize disturbance to the surface and surrounding environment.

• Lower overall cost: When engineered properly, a single large-diameter bore can be more cost-effective than multiple smaller drills.

We’ve seen this evolution firsthand. In fact, we’ve been directly involved in bundled bore projects that included two pipelines in the same hole — and others with as many as eleven pipelines pulled through simultaneously.

Hard to imagine? Yes.
Incredible to witness? Absolutely. (Unfortunately, no cameras were allowed on that particular job site!)

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The Challenge: Protecting Pipelines During and After the Pull

As impressive as these multi-line bores are, they present a unique set of challenges. When several steel pipelines are pulled side-by-side through a muddy, high-friction borehole, contact between lines is inevitable — and that can lead to damage both during installation and long after the system is in service.

The question becomes:

• How do you prevent the pipelines from damaging each other during the pull?

• How do you ensure they don’t rest on each other for the next 30, 40, or 50 years underground?

The answer: pipe bumpers, also known as pipe doughnuts, BBS Bumper Systems, or simply spacers.

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Pipe Bumpers: Simple Concept, Critical Function

At first glance, a pipe bumper might look like a simple molded or fabricated spacer that keeps pipelines separated during the pull. And on paper, the idea seems simple enough.

But in practice? It’s anything but simple.

When you’re pulling multiple lines through a bore hole, you’re talking about enormous shear and peel forces acting on everything in that hole. Picture a pipe bumper wedged between three different pipelines, being dragged through hundreds of feet of drilling mud. That bumper is going to act like a sail — seeing tremendous forces as the pipelines move.

If the bumper isn’t held in place by a road bore–rated material, it can easily shift, peel off, or fail completely — leaving the lines unprotected.

That’s why at BBS (Bundled Bore Solutions), our bumper systems are held in place by materials specifically designed and tested to survive the extreme stresses of directional drilling applications.

We’ve seen the results firsthand — and we’ve even documented them. In our Pipe Bumper Case History, before-and-after inspections confirmed that the bumpers stayed exactly where they were supposed to, even after being pulled beneath significant distances and through tough geological conditions.

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Not All “Pipe Doughnuts” Are Equal

Here’s where things get a little tricky: not every product on the market that looks like a pipe bumper is actually rated for road bore use.

Some systems utilize adhesives, wraps, or spacer materials that are not approved by their own manufacturers for use in directional drilling. That might sound like a small detail — but it’s a huge risk.

Think about what happens when those unapproved materials are dragged beneath a road, a ship channel, or a reservoir. They’re exposed to pressure, friction, heat, and movement that far exceed typical above-ground or stationary pipeline applications.

What happens to those bumpers?
Nobody really knows.

And does it make sense to use a system that even the manufacturer would say “No way — you can’t use our product for that”?
Of course not. Yet, we still see it happening across the industry.

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Why Road Bore–Rated Systems Matter

Using a road bore–approved bumper system ensures that:

• Every component (bumper, adhesive, backing material) is designed to handle the shear, peel, and compressive loads of a bore.

• Spacers stay in place throughout the pull and for the lifetime of the pipeline.

• The system is backed by field-proven testing, data, and case history — not guesswork.

At the end of the day, pipe bumpers or doughnuts might look like simple accessories, but they play a critical role in protecting your investment. They prevent coating damage, spacing failures, and long-term structural issues between parallel pipelines.

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Let’s Talk About Your Next Bundled Bore

Bundled road bores and directional drilling are here to stay — and as they become more common, the importance of proper pipeline spacing and protection only grows.

If you’re planning a multi-line bore, let’s have a conversation. Our team can help you select the right BBS Bumper System for your design, soil conditions, and pull forces — so you can focus on the hundreds of other details that demand your attention.

Because when it comes to protecting bundled pipelines underground, the best solution is the one that’s been proven to work.

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Bundled Bore Solutions (BBS)
Experts in multi-line pipeline protection and road bore–rated bumper systems.