When a High-Profile University Sport Complex Needed to Improve a Major Walkway, They Chose Polyurea Coatings for the Win

2018-03-14

You know how if you paint one room in your house, suddenly you notice how much the other rooms in your house could use a fresh coat?

When a 9,000-seat collegiate basketball arena underwent a multimillion dollar expansion and renovation, they added brand-new indoor and outdoor spaces, overhauled the building’s technology (adding the now stadium-norm huge video and LED boards), built a new training pavilion and completely redesigned the exterior and entryway to boost their “wow” factor.

The result? “A 50-year-old building that looks, operates and performs like it is brand new,” said the arena design firm’s project manager.

The new sports complex, however, needed a new renovation on the adjacent pavement which connected the athletic office and entrance areas. At 1,270 square feet, it was a major walkway, with high visibility to thousands of visitors and students that pass through the stadium’s doors each year. The sidewalk’s concrete had settled over the years, causing visible hairline cracks.

The university athletic department wanted a solution that would repair and improve the concrete, while at the same time, better align the footpath’s aesthetic with the shiny new sports center. Our products did both. This is how the team scored a slam dunk with the improved stadium walkway:

PREPARATION

1. The team profiled the concrete, so it would bond without fail to a new coating system. They mechanically scarified the 1200+ square feet of concrete substrate with a diamond grinder.

2. To remove any loose dust, which can also interfere with the coating’s adhesion to the concrete, the team then vacuumed and swept clean the surface.

3. Cracks were patched with 8600 HD and a mixture of cabosil and Polyurea 350 to make the necessary repairs.

COATING APPLICATION:

1. A base coat of Polyurea 350 Clear was applied at a rate of 16mils, covering 100 square ft per gallon.

2. An intermediate coat of Polyurea 350 was applied at the same rate, tinted SuperLight Gray to complement the new stadium colors. Also, a full broadcast of 480 Aggregate was added for anti-slip protection. To improve the walkway’s safety and reduce ongoing maintenance, base and intermediate coats provided a flexible foundation to accommodate heavy traffic.

3. The topcoat, RG80, was applied at a rate of 12 mils, covering 130 square feet per gallon, and tinted in the same SuperLight Gray. The topcoat’s UV stability ensures that the gray coloring doesn’t fade or yellow with time and sunlight.

Altogether, the three-coat system extended the useful service life of the walkway for years to come.

Citadel’s concrete coatings are a key element of facility maintenance and beautification, from the small local municipal pool, all the way up to multimillion-dollar sports arenas, and from structural steel concrete coatings to stairs, ramps and more.

Your public venue clients are looking to protect their assets, preserve their structures and enhance their guests’ experiences; let us help you plan for, bid, and win their concrete coating projects. Book a chat with one of our coating experts today.