NIGP 00528: Abrasives, Sandblasting (Other Than Metal)

NIGP 00528 Abrasives, Sandblasting (Other Than Metal) is an Item code under which state and local governments procure blast abrasive media—primarily copper slag and similar materials—for industrial surface preparation, corrosion removal, and maintenance of steel infrastructure. The Brazos River Authority in Texas recently solicited copper slag for blasting gate leafs at spillway facilities, demonstrating the code's application to asset preservation at state-level water management entities. Surface preparation services that incorporate sandblasting appear alongside this code in integrated RFP scopes; the City of Atlanta's recent on-call painting and pressure washing IFB references surface preparation as a discrete work component, though the sandblasting material itself is typically a separate material supply contract.

Issuing bodies under this code include state authorities managing water infrastructure, county and municipal facilities departments, and transit or special-purpose districts requiring abrasive media for equipment and structural maintenance. The Brazos River Authority's May 2026 RFB for blast abrasive represents the most concrete recent activity: the RFB required copper slag meeting specific bulk density, hardness, and silica-content specifications, with sealed bids due May 21, 2026, and award on a lowest-responsible-bidder basis. The solicitation explicitly encouraged small, minority, women-owned, and historically underutilized businesses to respond. Geographic activity centers in Texas and Georgia based on recent postings, though the code likely sees distributed low-volume procurement across water authorities, transportation departments, and maintenance operations nationwide. The Brazos River Authority's RFB is the only dedicated blast abrasive opportunity in the recent record; most other surface-preparation-related activity appears rolled into broader painting and facilities-maintenance solicitations.