The Situation:

Alameda Naval Air Station, located in Alameda, CA, was one of the most largest and most complete naval air bases in the country.  It was comissioned on November 1^st, 1940 and was used in World War II. The workers who were based at NAS Alameda represent 271 different trades and could completely maufacture and repair every part of an aircraft. The navy contacted SlipNOT® to provide tarmac plates for the maintenance area to protect workers doing maintenance on jets.  Oil and lubricants would leak out of the jets while they were being worked on and it would make the area slippery.

The Solution:

SlipNOT® provided NAS Alameda with 72 pieces of 72” square plates, predrilled with bolt down holes.  The air station could then take each plate and bolt it down to the concrete where needed.  They chose steel SlipNOT® plates because they were able to withstand the jet engine blast that happens right before takeoff. The file hard slip resistant surface is between 55-63 on the Rockwell “C” scale and has a bond strength of at least 4,000 psi for steel plates.

The Impact:

By using the SlipNOT® steel tarmac plates as maintenance pads, workers were able to work on the jets without having to worry about slippery concrete.  NAS Alameda was closed on April 25^th, 1997, and is now known as Alameda Point.  It was turned into a museum and now also houses the USS Hornet as a museum ship.  The buildings still stand and the property is used now for movies and television shows.  The TV show Mythbusters films more of their destructive experiments on the grounds of the station because it allows them a very large safety zone.  The movie The Matrix Reloaded also filmed a lengthy freeway car chase scene on the grounds, using a loop constructed solely for the filming.  Because the grounds of the former NAS Alameda are still being used, safety is still a number one priority for the City of Alameda.