Moisture is a key component of concrete. It is critical to the curing and strengthening process of the product. It is however the use or misuse of this critical component that may cause expensive and unavoidable problems over the life of the floor. Whether that moisture moves through a concrete slabs via hydrostatic pressure, capillary action or from differences in vapor pressures; just the presence of this moisture in the slab may set up potential problems for the curing or the adhesion of floor coatings.

This article will examine the use of desiccant dehumidification as a means to reduce the overall moisture content in the slab thus providing a proper surface to apply floor coatings. It will also look at methods for measuring moisture within a slab and provide guidelines for test selection.

Subject
Vapor pressure, Water, Coatings, Curing, Materials, Moisture, Vapors, Dehumidification, Slabs, Construction, Concrete coatings, Drying, Concrete
© 2006 Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP). All rights reserved. This work is protected by both domestic and international copyright laws. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of AMPP. Positions and opinions advanced in this work are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of AMPP. Responsibility for the content of the work lies solely with the author(s).
2006
Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP)
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