GeneralQ When applying 6 in. (152 mm) of shotcrete on an exterior concrete surface, how long should that cure before coating with an acrylic elastomeric roof coating? What is the moisture content of that thickness after 7 days, or after 14 days?
Shotcrete is just a placement method for concrete. Thus, the in-place material will have the same characteristics as concrete. You should consult the coating supplier to establish how long they want the concrete surface cured. They may also specify a certain limit for surface moisture conditions. There are several methods for evaluating the moisture content of the in-place concrete. Here are the ASTM standards that deal with surface moisture:
- ASTM F710, Preparing Concrete Floors to Receive Resilient Flooring; Section 5.2, pH Testing;
- ASTM F1869, Measuring Moisture Vapor Emission Rate of Concrete Subfloor Using Anhydrous Calcium Chloride;
- ASTM F2170, Determining Relative Humidity in Concrete Floor Slabs Using in situ Probes;
- ASTM F2659, Preliminary Evaluation of Comparative Moisture Condition of Concrete, Gypsum Cement and Other Floor Slabs and Screeds Using a Non-Destructive Electronic Moisture Meter; and
- ASTM F3191, Field Determination of Substrate Water Absorption (Porosity) for Substrates to Receive Resilient Flooring.
In addition, The International Concrete Repair Institute (ICRI) has a certification program, “ICRI Concrete Slab Moisture Testing Technician—Grade 1.”
