Selected Answers

From shafeek parokkot of builtech engg on May 9, 2016:
 The quality control procedure  should b ...read more  The quality control procedure  should be clearly specified, as with  SSPC-PA 2, or any other standard,so there is no basis for conflict.

From Erik Andreassen of CFPS on August 22, 2011:
     All of these questions sh ...read more      All of these questions should be discussed and finalised before projects start. Most of the time, specifiers do not understand the products being used and refer to coatings tried and tested many years ago on previous projects.Manufacturers also have to give the correct information on their PDS for application range, drying and curing rates, moreso in climates where the data provided stops at 40degrees but substrate temperatures can be +70 degrees.

From Joseph Witkowski of Advanced Polymer Tech. on August 21, 2011:
     There should be a meeting ...read more      There should be a meeting between the parties involved on a particular project to resolve the issues and reach an agreement that everyone can accept.

From Simon Hope of Bilfinger Salamis on August 17, 2011:
     This is an eternal debate ...read more      This is an eternal debate! As a contractor, it is always difficult to know which way to go, but, as warranties will be involved, it is advisable to resolve any discrepancies at the bidding stage of the contract. If there is a major and obvious error in the specification, this should be brought up as a 'Technical Query' to the client, and, if possible, supported by evidence from the coating manufacturer so that all parties are aware of the discrepancy. At the end of the day, both the coating manufacturer and the contractor will be expected to hold some form of warranty on the job done so it is essential that the work is done in line with the manufacturer's guidelines on their technical data sheet. Divergence from this should only be done with the manufacturer's express permission in writing and verification that warranty terms will not be compromised. A properly conducted bidding process where both commercial and technical personnel are involved should not allow these issues on the whole to occur, but at the end of the day, should a discrepancy occur, firstly, there should be discussions between all three parties to iron out an agreement that satisfies all requirements. Usually, this is the warranty and this is invariably dictated by the Coating Manufacturer and their data sheets. They will always walk away from a failure if there has been any unauthorised deviation!!

From richard d souza of stoncor middle east llc on August 17, 2011:
     There are many factors wh ...read more      There are many factors which create conflicts between manufacturers' recommended dry film thickness and specification requirements. The most important is surface profile specified by the owner.  It is necessary to control the profile of the abrasive- blasted surface, and there should be a clearly defined range for inspectors' acceptance. Deeper profile means more coating thickenss required to fill in and achieve the the required dft. Besides this, the hard-to-coat areas, such as the webs of I beams,  will have many overlaps, and, as a result, will have excessive dft's, making it difficult to accomplish the quality of work of a flat or tank surface, and some kind of technical sense should prvail during dft inspection.

From William Slama of International Paint/Ceilcote Products on August 15, 2011:
     We have seen instances wh ...read more      We have seen instances where the specifying engineer has included coating/lining thicknesses that were not consistent with the manufacturer's most recent specifications. This has resulted from use of obsolete information or "casual" information from other documents. It should be understood that the manufacturer's latest specifications, product data sheets, and product installation procedure documents should be accepted for spec revision. Aside from being most correct, warranty issues may also result from incorret thickness specifications. Sometimes articles or promotional literature may list nominal or "typical" thicknesses, whereas specified thickness ranges and targets are carefully established so that the thicknesses can reasonably be attained by applicators that have adequate training and experience for application of the product type. This is especially significant for application methods other than spray, such as trowel, squeege, etc. The basic premise is that the manufacturer has established the thickness ranges for best coating or lining performance and practicality of application.

From Thomas Selby of Retired on August 15, 2011:
     I always like to check wi ...read more      I always like to check with the coating manufacturer's technical service department for their opinion, as they will have direct contact with the lab and also have access to the latest information on that product or products. I use e-mail, so I have a documented paper trail. First contact is always by phone, so I am communicating with a person whose name I have on record.

From Joseph Brandon of QualityFirst Consultants LLC on August 15, 2011:
     There are many reasons ho ...read more      There are many reasons how and why a coating specification may conflict with manufacturer recommendations, best practice, etc. Such conflicts need to be resolved by the owner's engineer at the earliest feasible time so as not to impact planning and/or production. This, and any other detected conflicts, should be communicated to the owner using a Request for Information (RFI), or other established process.

From Lee Edelman on August 14, 2011:
     During the pre-job meetin ...read more      During the pre-job meeting, these conflicts should be resolved. All parties should attend the pre-job meeting. At this time the owner and coating manufacturer should decide on the correct film thickness for the specification. The owner's specification supercedes the manufacturer's data, but this does not mean the specification is always right. The manufacturer's data tells the minimum and maximum coating thicknesses. This should not be overlooked. All parties should review the steps for surface prep, anchor profile, and coating selection to make sure all elements of the system are compatible before the project starts { Always Request A Pre-Job Meeting }.