Letterman Digital Arts gets a parking structure upgrade
Letterman Digital Arts - Deck Coating
Letterman Digital Arts had a very busy parking structure and was looking for the installation of a urethane traffic coating at the first level of their parking structure.
While typically we apply traffic coating to the top, exposed level of a parking structure, sometimes we apply traffic coating to the inside of a parking structure. Car tires can bring in moisture that can work its way through cracks and down into the concrete and reinforcing of the suspended slab. In addition, wet concrete at any level, if there is not enough texture, can become a slip hazard and pose a public safety risk.
Installing large parking deck coatings can be loud, smelly, and intrusive. Fortunately, they move quickly in order to minimize impact. It is a challenge under any circumstances, but even more so when the client is known for the famous Star Wars franchise, among other things. Quality standards are at their peak—not only for performance but also for aesthetics, understandably. For projects like this, you have to be able to mobilize an A Team that will do the job right the first time. There is no time for a re-do.
What We Did
prepared the surface via a high-pressure water blast to clean the substrate of dirt and oils and remove existing traffic striping.
Installed over 45,000 square feet of urethane traffic coating
Caulked all explanation joints and perimeter transitions
Installed new parking bumpers, reflective dots, striping, and parking designations, using over 225 stencils
Project Details
Time was of the essence, impacting 45,000 square feet of parking structure. The project had to be carefully phased to allow access to parts of the work area not in the current phase and avoid choke points. Once the plan was put in place and approved, work began to remove all previous striping and traffic markings (taking careful notes to make sure we could replace the markings as they were), water blast the surface to provide a profile for the new coating, and remove accumulated dirt and oil, which would prevent the new coating from adhering properly. This phase was performed during overnight shifts.
At this stage, we caulk all perimeter edges to protect the cold joints and provide an easy transition for the new coating as it coves up the wall 4". Expansion joints are replaced, and any cracks are caulked.
With freshly cleaned concrete, we applied the neogard primer to the entire surface, utilizing a crew of 6–8 workers. Each worker has a specialized role; one is just the dedicated mixer for these two-component materials. There is also a "squeegee man", whose job it is to evenly distribute the material, per spec, to these 15,000 sections. The rest of the crew does cut-ins and backrolls. In this fashion, we installed the basecoat, then a wear coat, or sand coat, which provides the needed texture. Without that, the deck surface is like an ice skating rink. With the prime, base, and texture coats down, we finally applied the aliphatic urethane topcoat, which is hard and resistant to friction damage from tires and other objects.
With the coating installed, the area is ready for the installation of new parking bumpers and striping. The traffic marking had to match custom colors for the client to provide a unique look and finish quality. Lastly, new reflective dots were applied, and then the section could be put back into service. The total turnaround time for 15,000 sf, including cure, was one week.
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