Tests are not always needed. But where a decision would otherwise be taken blindly, they cost less than a mistake. We determine which checks are really necessary, include them in the inspection plan, carry out field measurements and organise laboratory testing where it cannot be avoided.
When testing is needed
- the compatibility of systems has to be confirmed — for example, of a fire protection compound with a shop-applied coating that is already in place;
- you are choosing between several materials for severe conditions;
- the client requires a trial area or confirmation of the system’s properties before work starts;
- the quality of the work is in doubt or has become the subject of a dispute;
- a coating has failed and the cause needs to be understood — see “Surveys and failure analysis”.
Field inspection
| What we check | Methods and standards |
|---|---|
| Climatic conditions during preparation and application: air and steel temperature, humidity, dew point | ISO 8502-4 |
| Surface preparation grade | ISO 8501-1, GOST 9.402-2004 |
| Dust on the prepared surface | ISO 8502-3 |
| Soluble salts | ISO 8502-6, ISO 8502-9 |
| Surface profile after abrasive blast cleaning | ISO 8503 |
| Wet and dry film thickness | ISO 2808, ISO 19840; for fire protection — to the method and sampling rules specified in the design |
| Adhesion | pull-off — ISO 4624, ISO 16276-1; cross-cut and X-cut — ISO 2409, ISO 16276-2 |
| Continuity of immersion-service and chemical-resistant coatings | ISO 29601, ASTM D5162 |
| Defects: rusting, blistering, cracking, flaking | ISO 4628 |
Measurements are only meaningful when they are taken with calibrated instruments and to a sampling plan agreed in advance: how many points, on which members, and how individual readings and the average are assessed. We record all of this in the inspection plan before work starts.
Trial areas
Before the main works, the contractor applies the system to a section of the structure or to test panels under the actual site conditions. We check the procedure, drying time, achievable thickness, adhesion and appearance. Once accepted, the trial area becomes the reference standard for accepting the entire scope.
Laboratory and fire tests
When field checks are not enough, we prepare a test programme and arrange the tests at accredited laboratories:
- resistance of coatings in a salt spray cabinet (ISO 9227) and to liquids (ISO 2812);
- assessment of coating systems by the methods of ISO 12944-6;
- fire tests and determination of fire protection thicknesses by the methods the design requires: GOST R 53295, EN 13381-8, UL 1709 and others.
We draw up the programme, agree it with the client, oversee the preparation of specimens and help to apply the results correctly. The test reports are issued by the laboratory. For how fire tests are organised, see the article “How fire protection tests are carried out”.
What you receive
- measurement records referenced to the structural members, with photographs;
- a conclusion on compliance with the specification requirements;
- a list of non-conformities and how to rectify them;
- for laboratory testing — the programme, the laboratory’s reports and our conclusions on them.
Need a coating checked or a test programme prepared? Phone, WhatsApp, Telegram: +998 94 094 52 27. E-mail: info@ognezashita.uz.