Many steel fabricators have been resistant to apply steel coatings in the fabrication shop. The reasons range from bottleneck issues to the inability to control the environmental conditions. Some fabricators begrudgingly accept the coating portion of a fabricated project but have not made it a specialty.
As a client you should expect a partner who truly believes in the process of adding steel coatings at the shop. This allows you to work with a partner who can ensure your coating projects are completed successfully within the content of the specification.
What Sets Steel Fabricators apart?
At PVS Structures we decided long ago to make a commitment to this process. To do this we, had to develop a system that ensured a quality product was delivered on time, on-budget and of course within spec. A few elements of the system include:
- Investing in the proper equipment for the projects
- Training qualified personnel to complete the projects
- Start with a pre-job conference to address concerns of the project before the project starts
- Understand the spec requirement as it relates to the level surface prep, DFT of the coating(s), relative humidity, dew point, ambient temperature and surface temperature.
- Be familiar with methods to verify the compliance of the specification you are working from
- Actively participate in industry. NACE, SSPC, AISC are all accredited firms who help ensure that fabricators have your clients best interest in mind
- Ask questions and clarify any items, which need attention
The Industry Continues to Evolve
As with every industry, project requirements, technology, systems, regulations and process continue to evolve. We see the following areas evolving that we feel are important to support and invest in.
- The opportunity for multiple coat systems being applied in the shop will continue to become more common
- Environmental control, monitoring and surface prep control with documentation are becoming attractive to owners and DOTs
- Owners continue to place more value on the fabrication shops who embrace accreditation and endorsement from industry.
- Documentation of continuous employee training and quality control records will become part of the approval process.
Large-scale building projects are already complex enough. Trusted partners, like PVS Structures (Yes we are biased!) are meeting the needs of the industry today and are always preparing for what lies ahead for sophisticated coating system(s)
Contact our PVS Structures Team to Discuss your Fabrication Needs.
