Ameren UE, eastern Missouri’s largest Power Plant was having dangerous issues with the coal dust being conveyed from level to level for power production. The dust is highly flammable and the use of water was the safest way to clean down the floors and equipment where daily coal accumulated.
However, by using water, the aged structure had numerous rusty holes, separation of the floor-to-wall joints, cut-outs from various repairs and many other voids that would cause severe water drips and flooding on the floors below, interrupting normal operations.