Municipal Water & Wastewater Infrastructure

Question: Where do you see the biggest gap between coating specifications and actual field performance?

Response: I think the biggest gap is translating what looks good in a specification into what can actually be achieved consistently in the field, while recognizing that different coating technologies aren't interchangeable. Polyurethane and polyurea, for example, can sometimes get lumped together, even though differences in cure, flexibility, impact resistance, adhesion, and application characteristics can make them appropriate for very different situations. When a specification doesn't clearly establish why a particular system was selected for that service environment and risk profile, it can open the door to substitution or value engineering that changes the performance you ultimately get. Combine that with field variables like surface preparation, environmental conditions, equipment needs, and applicator experience, and the gap can become significant. The specification defines the performance we expect but selecting the right technology and executing it correctly determines if we actually get it.