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Is That Traffic Coating Necessary? Surface Treatments and Parking Structure Protection

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Is That Traffic Coating Necessary? Surface Treatments and Parking Structure Protection ISSUE 2/2008 V O L U M E 2 5 N U M B E R 2 Journal of architectural technology published by Hoffmann Architects, Inc., specialists in the rehabilitation of building exteriors. Is That Traffic Coating Necessary? Surface Treatments and Parking Structure Protection Lawrence E. Keenan, PE, AIA and Robert A. Marsoli, Jr., EIT Elastomeric traffic-bearing mem- there are locations where no mem- branes are showing up on garages brane performs well, such as those old and new, and their popularity has areas requiring a flexible membrane soared in the past decade. A beautiful that are subject to snow plows. coating that locks out harmful moisture So…what is the best solution? It’s and chlorides must be a reasonable helpful to begin by looking at the rea- long-term investment, right? Not only sons why deck protection is necessary. is this not necessarily true, in some cases, applying such coatings can be a The Problem costly mistake. It is true that parking decks must be cared for to ensure that In northern climates, parking decks are they will be here after we are not, but subjected to extreme corrosive and there is a growing preconception that deteriorating environments. Moisture, installing a traffic-bearing membrane is laden with chlorides from deicing a one-way ticket to the garage equiva- chemicals, tracks into garages or hitch- lent of immortality. While a traffic- es a ride as ice formations behind the bearing membrane may, in fact, be the wheels of vehicles (tenderly referred best solution for many situations, this to as “fenderbergs” by those in the re- is a big-ticket item, and thorough con- pair industry) and ultimately soaks into sideration is necessary to determine the concrete surface. The dissolved if this costly investment is the correct chlorides then migrate to embedded solution for your garage’s needs. steel reinforcement through the pores in the concrete or take the highway Traffic-bearing membranes are not and penetrate through cracks. Once perfect. In order to withstand the they reach the steel, the salts cause punishing abrasion which a parking expansive corrosion, ultimately result- deck must endure, the membrane Traffic-bearing membranes look appealing. ing in unsightly, destructive, and costly must be hard and durable; however, But are they worth the price? deterioration of the structure. the membrane must, at the same time, be soft and flexible to bridge Moisture’s ability to transport corro- over moving cracks and joints without sive chlorides is not its only damaging failure. Since very hard membranes property. Coupled with cold weather, are generally inflexible, and more pli- water can damage concrete decks as it able membranes don’t hold up well to expands and contracts during freeze/ abrasion, choosing the right mem- thaw cycles. Air entrainment, the de- brane is a balancing act. In addition, liberate incorporation of microscopic As Director, Engineering with Hoffmann Architects, Inc., Lawrence E. Keenan, PE, AIA has extensive experience in parking structure rehabilitation, including investigation, repair, and surface treatment consultation. Project Coordinator Robert A. Marsoli, Jr., EIT is involved in a number of garage remediation projects, from design through administration. JOURNAL The Objective from the boiled linseed oil that was Ultimately, the goal previously used. Today, an industry of all deck protec- dedicated solely to concrete protec- tion is to stop water tion offers a dizzying array of products from getting into to treat concrete before, during, and the deck. Perhaps after production, both inside and this is an over-sim- out. For existing parking structures, a plification, but not number of waterproofing agents are by much. No water, available that can be applied to the no deterioration. surface of the deck; the following is a The tricky part is look at some of these product types that water comes in and their properties. more than one form. Penetrating Sealers Liquid water is an These liquid-applied treatments, which Cracks are routed and sealed before application of a penetrating obvious villain, as is include silane, siloxane, and silicates, sealer. the expansive force stop water entry by penetrating deep of ice and snow, but into concrete and forming a bar- air bubbles in concrete, releases the water vapor can be just as damaging. rier that prevents liquid water from internal pressure created by freezing For example, a chloride-laden deck entering, limiting chloride ion migra- water by permitting moisture to flow can actually draw moisture from the tion and freeze-thaw damage. These from bubble to bubble. Still, although air and continue to deteriorate even treatments are also vapor permeable, this solution to freeze/thaw degrada- after your best efforts to keep it dry. allowing them to be used at locations tion has been known for years, garages In fact, calcium chloride, the most where other coatings may not be ap- continue to be constructed with popular and effective of all deicing propriate, such as slabs on grade. Be- insufficient air entrainment, leading to chemicals, is commonly used on con- cause they are inexpensive and quickly premature breakdown of the concrete struction sites for dust control. It is applied, with little or no down-time, as freezing water destroys it from the sprinkled onto the dry earth and wets penetrating sealers offer a good first inside out. the surface by pulling moisture from line of defense for a parking structure Water is at the heart of most parking the air. Unfortunately, it works equally that is in good overall repair. As invis- deck deterioration. Moisture can well at saturating your parking deck. ible penetrants working below the surface of the concrete, these sealers facilitate reactions between certain Remediating the effects of chloride ion do not affect deck line striping, saving aggregates and alkali hydroxides in the attack, freeze/thaw damage, or mois- on project duration and cost. concrete, creating a cycle of expansion, ture-driven chemical reactions is both cracking, and further moisture intru- difficult and costly, so preventing water However, these coatings can be short- sion. This alkali-silica reaction, or ASR, infiltration—whether liquid, solid, or lived solutions, requiring reapplication is very difficult to stop once it has be- vapor—is top priority. While keeping every five years or less. They also do gun. Other minerals, notably sulfates your garage perfectly dry is an impos- not bridge cracks, so they only limit and ettringite, migrate via penetrating sible task, through thoughtful product moisture and chloride penetration in moisture and can crystallize and lead selection, you can limit the degree intact concrete. Because cracking can to spalling, cracking, delamination, and to which moisture can penetrate the be an ongoing process, the ability to even loss of integrity of the concrete. parking deck. As such, there are a bridge new cracks as they form may Because parking structures are ex- variety of products on the market that be important in parking decks that posed to the elements inside and out, showcase the best protection chemis- already have evidence of concrete they are more susceptible than other try can currently achieve. distress. building types to deterioration due to moisture, temperature cycles, and Methacrylate and Epoxy Healer/Sealers The Options contaminants. Even the best designed As the name implies, these coatings and constructed garages need some Technological advances in the chemi- both repair cracks and seal pores, so help to survive this onslaught of cor- cal industry in the past 30 years have they can be used to restore a deck rosive forces. brought concrete sealers a long way that has already undergone some de- 2 V O L U M E 2 5 N U M B E R 2 terioration. Like the penetrating seal- ers, low-viscosity methacrylates and epoxies fill the pores in concrete to create a barrier to liquid-water-driven chloride intrusion. They can also be injected or gravity-fed into cracks to structurally heal them. Where desir- able, the healer/sealers can also limit vapor transmission, although care must be taken not to lock moisture within the deck. With a moderate price tag, this class of surface treatments offers a good solution for parking structures that are starting to show some signs of distress, both to treat deterioration At right: Gravity-feeding an that has already occurred and to pre- epoxy healer/sealer into cracks vent continued water-related damage. on a concrete deck. Above: Test core showing ep- Where methacrylate and epoxy heal- oxy penetration to the bottom er/sealers fall short is in wet or soiled of a crack. fractures, to which the materials won’t adhere, and in moving cracks, which and provides skid resistance. Together, Super-Rigid Elasto-Epoxythane Traffic- are likely to re-fracture. On parking these yield an attractive, easy-to-clean Resisting Armor decks exposed to continuous sunlight, surface that can give a “face lift” to This surface treatment combines the epoxies can degrade quickly under UV older, crack-riddled parking decks. best of all of the above. Although radiation, so consider methacrylates abrasion defiant, it is flexible enough for these areas. For enclosed parking However, a traffic-bearing membrane’s to bridge moving cracks, locking structures or other areas where fumes assets are also its downsides. Flexible out all moisture and chlorides. It is might be a problem, offensive odors varieties offer superior crack-bridging, environmentally friendly, low odor, and from methacrylates might prove pro- even for moving cracks, but they don’t available in a wide variety of colors hibitive. Unlike the penetrating sealers, hold up well to abrasion because to match any decor. Unfortunately, it healer/sealers aren’t just coat-and-go; they are soft and yielding.
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