Building Enclosure Council: Durability of Concrete Coatings & Water Repellents

Coatings and water repellents are used on concrete to seal out water, but are often used incorrectly. From product selection to installation to maintenance, ignorance about coatings and repellents leads to countless premature failures; therefore, durability is a central factor in construction litigation. Liability stems from two primary sources: (1) unrealistic expectations of how long a coating or repellent should serve its intended purpose – its design life; and (2) mistakes that shorten its functional performance – its service life.

Learning Objectives

• Understand factors that affect initial performance.
• Understand factors that affect durability.
• Understand laboratory and field test methods that provide meaningful results.
• Understand project variables that affect product selection.

Presentation by David Nicastro, P.E., F.ASTM, Senior Principal, Building Diagnostics, Inc. an ABB Company.