SPECIFICATIONS FOR STEEL HIGHWAY BRIDGES. 15 
SECTION 2. PAINTING STEEL STRUCTURES. 
The painting of metal structures shall incluae, unless diuoS^^^^^ ^^°' 
otherwise provided in the contract, the proper preparation 
of the metal surfaces, the application, protection and 
drying of the paint coatings, the protection of pedestrian, 
vehicular or other traffic upon or mxderneath the bridge 
structure, the protection of all portions of the structure 
(superstructure and substructure) against disfigurement 
by spatters, splashes and smirches of paint or of paint 
materials, and the supplying of all tools, tackle, scaffold- 
ing, labor, workmanship and materials necessary for the 
entire work. 
APPLICATION OF PAINT. 
All new structural steel work shall, unless otherwise 2. Number of 
especially provided upon the plans or in the contract, be ^°^^^' 
painted three coats of paint. The first coat is to be 
applied immediately after the shop fabrication is complete 
except that all surfaces coming into contact are to be 
painted before being assembled. The second and third 
coats are to be applied after all erection is complete, 
except that inmaediately following the field-riveting of 
the members, the heads of field rivets, and all abrasions of 
the shop coat due to handling at the shop, shipment, 
erection, etc., and all field erection marks shall be thor- 
oughly covered with one coat of shop paint and permitted 
to become thoroughly dry before the first field coat is 
applied. 
The color of each succeeding coat shall be sufficiently 3. colors of 
different from that previously applied to permit the dis- 
covery of an incomplete application of the paint coat. 
The colors of the coats shall be determined by the 
engineer. 
Paint shall be apphed only when the air temperature is .4.. weather con- 
at or above 40° F. It shall not be apphed upon damp^^^°^" 
surfaces or upon metal containing frost, nor shall it be 
applied when the air is misty, or other^dse, in the opinion 
of the engineer, unsatisfactory for the work. 
Material painted under cover in damp or cold weather 
shall remain under cover until dry or imtil weather 
conditions permit its exposure in the open. Painting in 
open yards or upon erected structures shall not be done 
when the metal has absorbed sufficient heat to cause the 
paint to blister and produce a porous paint film. 
No wide, flat brushes shall be used. All brushes shall s. Application. 
be either round or oval in shape. 
The paint when applied shall be so manipulated under 
the brush as to produce a uniform, even coating in close 
contact with the metal or mth previously applied paint. 
In general, the primary movement of the brush shall 
describe a series of small circles to thoroughly fill all 
irregularities in the sm-f ace, after which the coating shaU 
be smoothed and thinned by a series of parallel strokes. 
