Most of the past Cases from the F-Files have focused primarily (although not exclusively) on coating failures on steel. However, coating failures can and do occur on other substrates such as aluminum, wood, and concrete, to name a few. In this case, a warehouse concrete floor coating was exhibiting blistering only a few months after […]
The Contractor Who Almost Got Floored Read More »
An American tobacco company owned a number of large buildings, essentially steel-framed warehouses covered with corrugated galvanized steel panels, at one of its facilities. The company used the warehouse buildings for the fumigation of the tobacco, during which the entire interior of the building is filled with a gaseous insecticide that kills tobacco-damaging insects. Unfortunately,
When A Good Idea Goes Bad Read More »
Within a 20-mile radius of your home, you have seen one or more big box stores, strip malls, or other buildings with peeling paint on the exterior and/or interior surfaces. Failing paint and streaks of efflorescence are so common on buildings that it is hardly noticed until large sheets hang from the walls. While moisture
Coating System Concerns for Single-Wythe Concrete Masonry Unit (CMU) Construction Read More »
Photo by Jonny Scholes In this Case from the F-Files, large steel components for a new facility being constructed in the U.S. were fabricated, prepared, and coated overseas with an inorganic zinc primer (IOZ). Upon delivery to an inland river port in the U.S., the components were unloaded for additional assembly work and found to have
The case of…the red rust on a newly applied zinc primer Read More »
How long does it take for a premature coating failure to occur? The likelihood of failure is high shortly after application: from days to perhaps a year. In this month’s Case from the F-Files, a coating delaminated shortly after installation of the coated assemblies. Repairs were made, and the units went into service. Can failure
The case of…failure in a filter house Read More »
Premature coating problems on the standing seam roofs of two school buildings were an eyesore for the community and an issue for the school board that was trying to improve the school’s image. This article describes the site investigation, the forensic laboratory analysis, and what ultimately caused the coating to detach.Embarrassed that the four-year-old roof
Case Study: Roof Coatings Flunk Out Read More »
From JPCL, July 2012 In this month’s F-Files, blisters formed in a lining system installed on the interior of a raw water storage tank that was constructed at a new power plant. Because careful quality control and quality assurance inspection measures were taken from the time blast cleaning began through complete curing of the lining system, it
The Case of Surprise Blistering and Rusting on a New Tank Lining System Read More »
In this month’s Cases from the F-Files, rust spots became evident on the interior roof deck of a newly constructed, unoccupied warehouse. Were the rust spots a result of what was going on inside or outside of the warehouse? Background of the Project As a large warehouse building in the north-east U.S. that was being constructed
The Case of October Showers Bring November Rust Spots Read More »
Article From Durability + DesignPhoto 1: High-performance factory finishes, such as the fluoropolymer coating applied to the exterior of this library in Arizona, provide a high degree of color and gloss retention.Photo by Timmerman Photography; photo courtesy of PPG Industries Inc. Factory-applied finishes on roof panels, canopies, awnings, and curtain walls offer a superior combination of
That New-Paint Look: Keys to Formulating a Plan for Restoring Metal Exteriors Read More »
“The Case of… Three (Consultants),” a two-part F-Files column published in the November and December 2010 issues of JPCL,1 described observations and conclusions reached by three different consultants, each looking at the same bridge coating system. The article pointed out that clients sometimes retain consultants to perform very specific and limited examinations of the alleged failing coatings.
The Ethics of Coatings Failure Investigations Read More »