Background Color is used in the coatings industry for safety (e.g., safety yellow), identification (e.g., pipes coated blue indicate gas flowing through them) and for branding (e.g., company color schemes). The color of a protective coating changes over time; these changes may be caused by aging of the coating and/or exposure to solar radiation (ultraviolet […]
Measuring Color Difference in the Coatings Industry Read More »
In the September 2014 issue of Durability + Design, we described the laboratory test methods used to determine the water vapor permeance of coatings, as well as the importance of knowing the permeance of the interior and exterior coatings used on building walls. As seen in Durability & Design, January 2017 “Calculated Impact: Can WUFI
How Many Times Can I Repaint the Exterior of My Building? Read More »
Introduction The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan association representing highway and transportation departments in the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. It represents all five transportation modes: air, highways, public transportation, rail, and water. Its primary goal is to foster the development, operation, and
AASHTO NTPEP DataMine for Structural Steel Coatings – Its Value and Use Read More »
Rather than describe a failure that has already occurred, this article addresses key steps to follow when painting bolted connections in order to prevent failures from occurring by focusing on surface preparation and painting practices that have been used successfully on bolted bridge connections such as splice plates and gusset connections for new construction projects
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,
Intumescent Coatings: A Review of Current and New Technologies Read More »
Galvanizing presents many challenges to painting operations. While the zinc coating can add substantial life to steel surfaces, its surface chemistry and electrochemical activity can result in conditions leading to adhesion failures of applied organic coatings. The key to successful painting lies in recognizing the many surface conditions presented by new and weathered galvanizing and
How to Prepare Galvanizing for Painting Read More »
On August 10th 2016, KTA Senior Chemist, Chrissy Stewart, presented a Webinar for Durability and Design entitled “The Relationship Between Aesthetics and Brand Image, and the Coatings to Achieve It.” Viewers are encouraged to ask questions at the end of the Webinar, and the Presenter generally answers them following the Presentation. For the Webinar, we
The Relationship Between Aesthetics & Brand Image – Q & A Read More »
Specifications for the removal of paint that contains lead or other toxic metals should establish an owner’s expectation for worker protection, environmental compliance, protection of adjacent workers and/or the public, and waste management. A well-written specification will provide clear and concise language for the method(s) of coating removal and corresponding containment and ventilation requirements, establish
Preparing Lead Paint Removal Specifications — What Can Go Wrong? Read More »
The wastewater industry poses some of the most significant corrosion protection challenges for industrial protective coatings. In this case study, coating failure in the form of peeling and delamination (on concrete) and blistering (on steel) was observed on the interior of a digester at a wastewater treatment facility after only five years of service. Removal
Contradictory Information in a Project Specification – F-Files: Mechanisms of Failure Read More »
This is a six-part video series that demonstrates the field and laboratory methods that were used to determine why a new coating system applied to a previously painted concrete floor had failed. Each part is standalone, addressing a different aspect of the evaluation, but when viewed in order, they present a systematic step-by-step process for
Coating Failure Analysis Series – Part 6 – Laboratory Forensic Analysis Read More »