The Importance of Concrete Sealers on Concrete Surfaces
Concrete sealers act as water repellents, preventing water and chlorides from permeating the porous concrete surface, thereby protecting it from damage and corrosion.
Preparing and Painting Galvanizing
Galvanizing is the application of a zinc layer to steel by a variety of methods such as hot dip, continuous or electro-deposition. In many instances galvanized steel is not painted since the service life of galvanizing alone typically exceeds that of conventional protective coatings. When paint is applied to galvanizing it often is referred to …
Use of Fire Resistive Coatings in Building Construction
Fire resistive coatings generally refers to a broad group of materials known as sprayed fire resistive materials (SFRM). These coatings provide protection to structural steel in buildings and other structures by serving as an insulative layer in the event of a fire. The coatings are rated by how long they provide such protection, typically from …
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Avoiding Poor Specification Language
The success of a coatings project depends on many factors, none more important than the painting specification document. A complete, clear and concise specification will give a project a solid foundation that can serve as a basis for success. Unfortunately, poorly worded language in many specifications does not provide sufficient detail to ensure the success …
Intumescent Coatings: A Review of Current and New Technologies
A commercial building’s structural support steel may not have exterior exposure, or even be visible inside the building, but in some cases — such as The New York Times building in Manhattan — it is part of the exterior facade. Visible or not, building codes generally require that structural steel be protected by a fire-resistive material, …
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The Case of Improperly Cleaned Surfaces: Failures in Preparation or Specification?
What happens if coatings are applied to an improperly cleaned surface? The simple answer might be to expect premature coating failure, but what exactly is an “improperly cleaned” surface? Was a contaminant left on the surface? Was cleaning not otherwise sufficient to meet the specified standard? Or was the specified coating not appropriate for the …
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Selecting Coatings for Hospitals by Service Area
Coatings used in hospitals and healthcare facilities must be kept clean, which typically requires frequent scrubbing and disinfecting. These coatings must therefore be resistant to abrasion and to the chemicals used in cleaning products. Meeting these requirements typically indicates the need for high performance coatings. But there are often other requirements for coatings used in …
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Diagnosing Failure in Fireproofing [Intumescent Coatings]
The project specification for a recent building addition at a pharmaceutical manufacturing facility required that much of the structural steel be fireproofed. Fireproofing in this instance meant the application of a fire-resistive or intumescent coating. Intumescent coating products are designed to passively protect substrate materials—typically steel—from reaching combustion temperatures. These coatings function by charring and …
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Problems with Galvanizing
Hot-dip galvanizing, as the name suggests, consists of dipping pieces of steel into a molten zinc bath. The molten zinc reacts metallurgically with the steel and forms four distinct layers growing outward from the steel surface. The layers consist of various alloyed combinations of zinc and iron beginning at the steel interface with a layer …
The Case of the Compromised Propane Tank Coating
The exterior coating system on six propane tanks was delaminating after only one year of being stored under cover in Mexico. Could the system be repaired? Or was it a total loss? A gas transmission company had all six of the propane tanks fabricated and coated in Mexico for a U.S. facility. The specified surface …
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