INTRODUCTION TO ICRI TECHNICAL GUIDELINE NO. 310.

2R-2013,
SELECTING AND SPECIFYING CONCRETE
SURFACE PREPARATION FOR SEALERS,
COATINGS, POLYMER OVERLAYS,
AND CONCRETE REPAIR
BY PAT WINKLER

I CRI Technical Guideline No. 310.2R-2013,

“Selecting and Specifying Concrete Surface
Preparation for Sealers, Coatings, Polymer Over-
lays, and Concrete Repair,” was recently revised
and updated. Many of you are familiar with the new
guideline, as numerous copies have already been
purchased. But, in case you missed it, the new
guideline has been expanded to include surface
preparation for concrete repairs. This resulted in the
addition of a 10th concrete surface profile (CSP 10)
with an amplitude of greater than 0.25 in. (6 mm).
Accordingly, a new CSP 10 chip (Fig. 1) has been
added to the existing nine CSPs currently used to
evaluate concrete surface profile following surface
preparation. In addition, Appendix A, “Surface
Preparation Selection,” has been expanded to pro-
vide a detailed selection criteria list and a new
Appendix B, “Testing,” provides a summary of test Proper surface preparation is the key to success­
methods that may be used to specify and verify the f­ ul repairs. Poor surface preparation may lead to:
quality of the surface preparation. • Failure of the protective system or repair mate-
The purpose of the guideline is to help ensure rial (Fig. 2);
proper concrete surface preparation. Most protec- • Further repairs;
tive systems and repair materials designed for • Added expense;
application to concrete require some level of surface • Loss of use of the structure; and
preparation. Manufacturers of these products often • Compromised integrity of the structure.
specify the type and quality of the surface prepara- Deadlines drive project schedules and surface
tion that is required to ensure the success of their preparation can be the loser. Surface preparation is
product. The type of material, concrete substrate, often hidden as the work progresses and may be
and job-site conditions will impact the type of easily overlooked. Proper selection and execution of
surface preparation required for the project. the surface preparation is key to a successful project.

Fig. 1: CSP 10 Fig. 2: Protective coating failure

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 How can the new guideline help you? The guide- material must be made in context with the substrate
line provides four steps to assist in specifying and job-site conditions. For example, on your proj-
concrete surface preparation, including: ect, it is determined that a clear sealer exists on the
1. Evaluation of: concrete surface (Section A.1, “Substrate Condi-
a. Substrate condition, tion”) and surface preparation must be done in a
b. Material to be installed, and dust-free environment (Section A.3, “Job-Site
c. Job-site conditions; Conditions”). The owner would like to install a new
2. Review of surface preparation method(s); high-build coating and Section A.2, “Protective
3. Selection of surface preparation method(s); and system and repair material requirements,” suggests
4. Surface preparation requirements: that the required surface profile should be CSP 3-5.
a. Profile (CSP), and With this information, you have the initial criteria
b. QC testing criteria. to evaluate surface preparation options. Consulting
Appendix A provides a detailed checklist of items the manufacturer’s recommendations for surface
to be evaluated prior to selecting a surface prep­ preparation will provide further guidance.
aration method. A complete evaluation of the sub- Once the evaluation process is complete and the
strate and job-site conditions will impact the material protective system or repair material has been
selection. Selection of a protective system or repair selected, it is time to review the 13 surface prepara-
tion method summaries contained in Section 8.0 of
TABLE 7.2: PREPARATION METHODS
the guideline. Each method summary follows a
Concrete Surface Profile
general format including:
Surface preparation method CSP 1 CSP 2 CSP 3 CSP 4 CSP 5 CSP 6 CSP 7 CSP 8 CSP 9 CSP 10
1. Summary—of the surface preparation method;
Detergent scrubbing
2. Removal—method of concrete removal;
Low-pressure water cleaning 3. Profile—range and pattern expected from this
method;
Grinding
4. Accessibility—of equipment to areas to be
Acid etching prepared;
Needle scaling
5. Limitations—associated with this method;
6. Environmental factors—issues such as dust,
Abrasive blasting noise, or chemicals;
Shotblasting 7. Execution—how the method is performed;
8. Equipment—required for the method;
High- and ultra-high-pressure water jetting
9. Materials—consumables required;
Scarifying 10. Employee skill level—required for method;
11. Setup and down time—estimated for method;
Surface retarder (1)
12. Cleanup—cleanup criteria and options;
Rotomilling 13. Production rates—estimated for method;
Scabbling
14. Quality control—general statement referring
to Appendix B; and
Handheld concrete breaker
15. Safety hazards—minimum recommended
(1) Only suitable for freshly placed cementitious materials
PPE and Appendix C.
Fig. 3: CSP comparison
The aforementioned format allows for a quick
comparison between surface preparation methods.
A comparison chart of the CSP produced by each
method is provided in the guideline (Fig. 3).
The goal of the surface preparation method is to
provide a clean, sound, roughened surface including:
• Removal of laitance, dirt, oil, films, paint, and
coatings (Fig. 4);
• Removal of contaminated and/or unsound con-
crete;
• Opening of the pores;
• Removal of any material that will interfere with
penetration, adhesion, or bonding; and
• Creation of a surface profile.
Knowledge of the surface preparation require-
ments for the protective system or repair material
and the substrate and job-site conditions, together
Fig. 4: Surface preparation to remove coating with the capabilities of the various surface prepara-

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Fig. 5: Concrete removed during scarification Fig. 6: CSP chips on prepared surface

tion methods, allows one to select the appropriate

surface preparation method(s). Following the
previous example, where the goal would be to
remove the clear sealer and create a CSP 3-5 in a
dust-free environment, a contained dust-free
system such as shotblasting, which is capable of
producing a CSP of 2-9, may be an appropriate
choice for the surface preparation necessary to
install a new high-build coating.
The last step is specifying the surface preparation
criteria. During surface preparation, almost all of
the methods will remove some amount of concrete
(Fig. 5). This removal results in a surface profile
(roughness or amplitude) that is generally the most
visible condition following surface preparation. The
guideline includes 10 concrete surface profiles
ranging from CSP 1 (minimal roughness) to CSP 10
(very rough with amplitude greater than 0.25 in.
[6 mm]). Typically, a CSP range should be used and
included in the project specifications. The concrete Fig. 7: Tensile bond test device
surface profile of the prepared surface can quickly
be compared to the specified profile range using the
CSP chips (Fig. 6). Pat Winkler is Vice President of
There are several test methods, such as tensile Rampart Hydro Services, LP, in
bond strength (Fig. 7), that may be used for quality Coraopolis, PA. He has been
control to ensure the suitability and condition of the directly involved in hydro­demo­
concrete surface following surface preparation. lition and surface prep­aration for
Appendix B includes a brief discussion of several over 25 years. Winkler is a past
test methods that may be used to verify the quality Chair of ICRI Committee 310,
of the surface preparation. Where appropriate, the Surface Preparation, and was one
ASTM reference is provided. of the principal authors of ICRI Technical Guideline
There are no shortcuts with surface preparation. No. 310.3, “Guide for the Preparation of Concrete
Following a system of evaluation, review, selec- Surfaces for Repair Using Hydrodemolition Methods.”
tion, and specification, the proper surface prepara- Winkler has served on the ICRI Technical Activities
tion method(s) can be selected and verified. This Committee and was recently named an ICRI Fellow.
process will greatly enhance the success of the Winkler is also a member of ACI and serves on Com­
repair project. mittees 546, Repair of Concrete, and E706, Con­
If you already have the previous Technical crete Repair Education. He received his BA in
Guideline No. 310.2 and CSP 1-9 chips, you can chemistry from Michigan State University, East
update your set by obtaining the new Technical Lansing, MI, and his MBA from Rutgers University,
Guideline No. 310.2R-2013 and the CSP 10 chip only. New Brunswick, NJ.

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