CERRITOS CIVIC CENTER PARKING STRUCTURE
Innovative Painting & Waterproofing Inc.
PROJECT OUTLINE:
• At-grade top deck with multiple levels
below grade
• All concrete construction with reinforcing
steel
• Heavy traffic – located in central plaza
at City Hall, main library, sheriff ’s/
community service station, dolphin
fountain water recreation area, park-like
art gallery and near Cerritos Center for
the Performing Arts.
• Top deck and ramp suffered from extensive
cracks with multiple leaks onto lower
levels. Several years of attempted repair
via crack chasing and caulking, urethane
foam grout injection and other methods
had been used for spot repairs.
• 80,000 square feet slated for complete
removal of existing urethane deck coating,
abrasive blasting, concrete repair and
installation of a polyurea deck coating
system.
• Extensive site coordination – because it is
the only parking at the civic center other
than one small lot next to the structure,
lower levels had to be accessible with
one driveway and half the ramp open
at all times, and parking coordinated to
keep vehicles away from the work areas
especially during spray operations.
• Very tight schedule – 30 working days
maximum.
The Cerritos Civic Center
Parking Structure is the central
transportation hub for the Civic
Center. Approximately 20 years
old, the top deck is at-grade with
additional levels below grade. Originally
coated with a urethane deck coating, years
of exposure, traffic, vibration, earthquakes
and soft settling had taken their toll. Many
voids had appeared in the top deck and
upper ramp, with continuous water leakage
problems due to rain and surface washdowns.
Multiple repairs had been made over the
years, including crack-chasing with sealant
installation, urethane foam grout injection
and surface patching, all with some level of
success. It was finally determined by City
Engineers that in the long-term, installation
of a new coating on the exposed surfaces
coupled with crack repair would be the most
cost-effective solution.
The project was originally slated for a
urethane system, but after consulting with
Donald Dancey, President of Innovative
Painting & Waterproofing, (who had
performed much of the previous repair
work) the City brought in Polycoat Products
for an assessment of the structure. Polycoat’s
inspection resulted in recommendation of
a Polyurea-based membrane system with
a urethane finish due to very short recoat
times, extremely high tensile strength, high longation and superior integrated film
bonding and toughness. With the critical
issues of limited work periods, short project
time window, and need for availability
of portions of the structure at all times,
polyurea was selected for the project due
to its combination of durability and speed
of application.
With the notice to proceed issued July 5th
2006 and a completion target of August 16,
2006, Innovative’s crew of specially-trained
applicators and mechanics went to work.
A master logistics plan was laid out by Jim
Sliff, Innovative’s Vice President and City
Project Engineer Fredy Bonilla, with specific
sections slated for “locked in” time periods;
this was critical as all City departments and
the residents had to be notified of access
routes and limitations.
Preparation consisted of use of up to
four “Terminator” coating removal units
at one time, closely followed by grinders
and shotblasting. As areas were stripped
and prepared, Innovative’s team of concrete
repair specialists immediately followed
with a mix of epoxy/aggregate blends and
polyurea sealant to renew the deck for
coating. As quickly as repairs were cured,
surfaces were primed with Series 21 Epoxy
Primer. Then the major water intrusion
system was installed – Series 5502 Aromatic
Polyurea, applied by high-temperature,
high-pressure plural-component spray using
Graco EXP-2 Reactor pumps (with feed
pumps, electrical power, air compressor and
repair/maintenance shop all enclosed in a
trailer with the EXP-2) and Fusion guns.
With the quick-set properties of fastset
aromatic polyurea, it was possible to
immediately follow with a coat of mediumset
Polyurea, a slightly slower-curing system
specifically chosen for aggregate broadcast
embedment. #16 aggregate was blown onto
the surface using a technique specifically
developed for the project – employing
hopper-type texture guns to disperse
aggregate over the surface in a uniform
manner at 5 times the speed of a normal
hand broadcast.
With the “slow cure” 6881 drying in a
matter of 15-20 minutes, a finish coat of
Polyglaze 100 was quickly applied; at turn
radii and other high-wear areas, a second
aggregate broadcast and final coat of
Polyglaze was applied. The area was then
finished with line striping and epoxy setting
of concrete parking bumpers.
As each area was completed, it was opened
up to traffic and another area underwent the
identical process. With the critical time
window, a large, cross-trained crew, backup equipment, and equipment support were vital
in meeting project goals. The project was
literally completed right on time, with the
City receiving a showpiece parking deck
worthy of the beauty and utility of the Civic
Center.
