Technical Articles

Everyday parking floors are exposed to mechanical stress. Deck coatings in multi-storey car parks and basement garages are among the most heavily stressed of such systems. Therefore, car park surfaces demand robust and highly resistant coatings. In this article you will learn about our Parking Abrasion Test which we have developed to measure wear resistance of floor coatings in parking garages.

Many urban and suburban areas have higher temperatures than their rural surroundings. This temperature difference indicates that they are urban heat islands. The annual mean air temperature in a city of a million or more people can easily be 1 to 4°C warmer than in the rural surroundings. On a clear, calm night the difference can measure even 12°C or more. The main cause of urban heat island effect is the modification of the land surface in cities. Natural vegetation is replaced by the built environment. Most surfaces of new structures are characterized by low solar reflectance and high impermeability. Additionally, they are often built with high-density materials which absorb great amounts of thermal energy and release it as heat.

Since concrete structures are often exposed to different aggressive environments, they require high quality protection systems. Reinforced concrete structures are built to serve many generations to come. However, concrete faces many threats of natural deterioration, damage and reinforcement corrosion.

Ronnie Turner, Infrastructure Manager - Refurbishment

Avoid installation issues this Winter!

By David Bullock, Key Account Manager, Cementitious Flooring

Flooring in food and beverage environments must be slip resistant, easy to clean, durable and hygienic.

Flooring in schools isn’t just a necessary part of a building’s fabric; it can help create the ideal learning environment in which children can thrive.

By Sam McNaughton, Sika Technical Services Advisor - Flooring

The key to success to any new-build or renovation project is preparation, as according to the well-worn saying, ‘fail to prepare; prepare to fail’.