29/6/2016 Methods&PitfallsinSelectingCoatingSystemsforSpecification

Methods&PitfallsinSelectingCoatingSystemsfor
Specification
ByLouisD.Vincent,October15,2015

Takeaway:Specifyingcoatingsystemsforeitherindustrialormarineprojectsrequiresadetailedprocessthatresultsin
coatingsystemsthatmeettherequirementsoftheowneroneachspecificproject.

Writinganeffectivecoatingspecificationcanberelatively
simpleorquitedifficult,dependingonthetypeandsizeofthe
structuretowhichthecoatingsystemswillbeapplied.The
coatingspecifierhasseveralwaystoapproachthisdecision
makingprocess.Followingarethreewidelyusedapproaches.

1.TheLegacyApproach

Selectacoatingsystemthathasalonghistoryofsuccesson
similarstructures.Providedthatthelegacycoatingsystemhas
notundergonesignificantchangesinformuladuetochanges
inenvironmentalregulations,thisapproachhasahighdegree
ofpotentialforsuccess.

2.TheComparativeTestingApproach ForthRailBridgeinScotlandopenedMarch1890andwaspaintedtolast.
Source:EGFocus
Selectseveralcoatingsystemsthatappeartohavethe
performancepropertiesneededonaspecificproject.Test
themsidebysideonlaboratorytestequipmentandtestmethodsdesignedtoduplicateasmuchaspossiblethe
aggressiveattackonthesecoatingsystemsthatisexpectedintheintendedserviceenvironmentforaspecificproject.

Thisapproachcanalsobequitesuccessful,suchasintestingpipelinecoatings.However,designingatestprocedure
whichaccuratelyduplicatesactualprojectconditionsforcomplicatedstructuresthatwillserveinenvironmentsthat
changesignificantlywithseasonsoftheyearcanbeextremelydifficult.Comparativetestinggivesthespecifiera
degreeofconfidencethatthecoatingsystemwillwork,butchangesinsiteconditionsmightrenderthetestprocedure
useless.

3.TheManufacturersCoatingSystemRecommendationsApproach

Thisapproachiswidelyusedinthemarineindustrybecausethecoatingsusedonvariousareasofashipcanbe
surveyedperiodicallyduringtheshipslife.Withthisinventoryofsuccessfulperformance,themanufacturersareever
readytopresentthespecifyingengineerwithabasicblueprintfortheentireshipalongwithvoluminouscasehistoriesof
successfulusage.

Whilethisapproachisverycommoninthemarineindustry,itislesscommononcomplicatedindustrialstructureswhere
thesiteconditionscanvarygreatlycomparedtothesiteconditionsofamarinenewbuildingproject.

SomeCommonPitfallsandConsiderationstoKeepinMind
Therearemanyfactorsandpitfallsthatcanimpactthesuccessofaselectedcoatingsystem,regardlessofthe
approachusedbythespecifier.Theseincludeseveralrequirementsthatthespecifiermustverifyorperformonhisor
herown.

Requirementsvarybroadlyindifferentpartsoftheworld.
JustbecauseacoatingspecifierhassucceededwitharefineryprojectintheUSA,doesnotautomaticallymean
successwiththesamespecificationonarefineryprojectinanothercountry.Siteconditionsvarywidely,applicator
https://www.corrosionpedia.com/2/2831/corrosionprevention/paintsandplasticscoatings/methodspitfallsinselectingcoatingsystemsforspecification 1/2
skillsvarywidely,andgovernmentalworkerhealthandsafetyregulationsvarywidely.
29/6/2016 Methods&PitfallsinSelectingCoatingSystemsforSpecification

Thequalityofrawmaterialscanvarydependingonwhereacoatingismanufactured.
Thereisalsovarianceinqualificationsoflocalcoatingsmanufacturingsites.Whileglobalscalemanufacturersgo
togreatexpensetoformulatecoatingsthatareintendedtobethesameinallplantswhereacoatingis
manufactured,somekeyrawmaterialsmaynotbeavailableatalltheseplantsites.

Forexample,asimplechangeinthequalityoftitaniumdioxidecanrenderaperfectlygoodformulauseless
becausethelocallyavailablegradeoftitaniumdioxidedoesnothavethesameresistancetoultravioletattackand
thefinishedcoatingleavesthefabricationsitemeetingallrequiredtests,yetfailswhenthecoatedstructureis
storedoutsideinhot,humidweatherforseveralweeksormonthsbeforebeinginstalled.

Betotallyknowledgeableabouttheownersphilosophytowardstheproject.
IstheassetownersdecisionmakingprocessbasedpredominantlyonAcquiredCost,oristheownerwillingto
considercostpersquarefoot/meterperyearsofservice?Therehavebeenseveralstudiespublishedthathave
statedclearlythatthelowestacquiredcost(cheapest)coatingsystemsareoftenmoreexpensiveoverthelifeofa
structure.

Thecoatingspecifiermustknowhis/herownersphilosophybeforehe/shecommitstothetaskofwritingadetailed
specificationforanentireproject.Onethingiscertain:thelargerthescopeoftheproject,themoreattemptsthere
willbeonthepartofthefabricatorstouselocal,lowercostcoatingsthatarepresentedasequaltothecoatings
intheactualspecification.

Unlessthespecifieriscertainthattheownerwillresistthesecostcuttingattempts,his/herworkisdoomedto
achievelessthandesiredresults.

Bewarethecontractorschangeorderrequests.
Itisnotunusualforfabricatorstosubmitexorbitantchangeorderrequestsbasedonhavingtoapplythespecified
coatingsystems,ratherthanwhattheybidinthefirstplace.Despitethefactthattheoriginalbidwasrequestedon
thebasisofthecoatingsystemincludedinthebiddocuments,unlesstheowneriscommittedtotheoriginal
specification,eitherequipment,applicationorcoatingschangeswillbeincludedtotrytojustifythechangeorder
request.

InSummary
Bottomline:themostimportantstatementthataspecificationwritershouldbeabletomakeabouthisorherworkisthis:
Ihavewrittenthiscoatingspecification,forthisstructure,inthislocation,inthisambientcondition.

Specifyingcoatingsystemsforeitherindustrialormarineprojectsrequiresadetailedprocessthatresultsincoating
systemsthatmeettherequirementsoftheowneroneachspecificproject.Thereisnouniversaltemplatethatcan
possiblycoverthevagariesofeachproject.

***
Moreinthe"HowtoWriteaGreatCoatingSpecification"series:

CoatingsSpecifications,Good,BadorUgly:LouVincentQ&A
WhyitsaMistaketoReuseOldCoatingSpecs:LouVincentQ&A
WhoParticipatesinSelectingEqualCoatingProducts?
ConditionSurveyTheBackboneofaGoodCoatingSpecification
DefiningServiceRequirements&EnvironmentalFactorsforCoatingSpecification
DefiningClientObjectivesforCoatingsSpecification
Tightrope:IdentifyingLimitingConditionsforCoatingsSpecification
ProblemsCausedbytheLackofClarity&DefinitioninCoatingSpecifications
WritingSafetyIntoYourCoatingSpecification
https://www.corrosionpedia.com/2/2831/corrosionprevention/paintsandplasticscoatings/methodspitfallsinselectingcoatingsystemsforspecification 2/2