Use documentation to influence specifications
A joint SSPC/NACE International standard for surface preparation says procurement documents (project specifications) should, at minimum, specify minimum concrete surface strength, maximum vapor emission and relative humidity levels, and surface profile range.
More projects are being awarded to design/build general contractors, but the specifier is still usually the A/E and they’re apt to leave out time-saving products like moisture mitigation to keep costs down, and to be inflexible about the schedule.
Don’t wait until the pre-construction meeting to request them or any other special considerations. By then, the ability to budget for additional time, testing, or necessary products is much tighter.
“I’m a big proponent of being in contact and documenting conversations with the architect/engineer before the bidding phase,” Scharich says. “The earlier your concerns are raised, the chances of getting the necessary products, methods, or testing into the job package are much higher.”
Instead, bring documented communication with the engineer rejecting the product or request to the meeting. It may sway the project manager to rediscuss it with the specifier.
Lose the “we’ve always done it this way” mindset
“My biggest concern from taking hotline calls is the comfort level many contractors reach,” says Scharich. “It’s the greatest single source of problems. Products change; the concrete underneath needs to be fully understood in addition to the coatings themselves.”
He points to the rash of thin-film acrylic sealant failures that prompted ASCC to convene a special conference in late 2011. Manufacturers had changed formulations, which affected application directions, to minimize VOC emissions as required by the federal Clean Air Act. Some contractors didn’t realize the law had changed and continued using products as before.
You can guess what eventually happened as a result.
