Static-free floors

Four years after installing Sika VaporBlock and ESD System,
OKI Telecom floor remains dry and static-free

Few things can damage sensitive electronic components like electrostatic discharge (ESD). And few things can short-circuit a protective ESD flooring system like long-term exposure to moisture.

A case in point was the 110,000 square feet OKI Telecom facility located in Suwanee, Georgia. The plant manufactures automotive electronics, cellular phones and personal communications systems.

In 2003, OKI Telecom management invested in an ESD flooring system from Sika Industrial Flooring (www.sikaconstruction.com) to eliminate static electricity from its production floor. During that installation Jay Bruce, Technical Sales Representative for Sika Industrial Flooring, and Tom Means, a concrete repair and coating contractor in Marietta, Georgia, went the extra mile to address a serious moisture problem within the concrete floor that OKI telecom was not aware of and would have compromised the new ESD system.

Today, the floor at OKI Telecom is continuing to perform just as advertised with no ESD or moisture issues, proving its value day after day.

“I did a walk through recently at OKI with the newly hired facility manager,” said Means. “He was not even aware there was once a moisture problem with the flooring. I’d say we did what we set out to do.”

Replacing a failed floor
During his first site visit in 2003, the moisture problem at OKI Telecom literally popped out at Sika’s Jay Bruce.

"Thumb-sized bubbles were appearing throughout the existing epoxy floor of the production facility," remembers Bruce. "When pressed, the bubbles burst open with water. With this moisture problem, any type of coating would have failed."

Tom Means estimates that the floor had over 8,000 of these water-filled bubbles. “I never saw a moisture problem this severe and haven’t since. Excess water vapor emissions through a concrete slab had delaminated the floor covering. This problem had to be resolved before we could address the ESD issue.”

Given the fast-track nature of today’s construction projects, concrete installation is sometimes rushed; this can result in moisture-related flooring failures, says Means. "Moisture is a critical component in concrete's curing process, but it must either reach a stable level or be treated with a vapor block before flooring products are installed. Just because a slab appears to be dry doesn’t necessarily mean it is dry.”

Means started the OKI Telecom installation by removing the moisture-damaged epoxy with a shot blaster to create the needed profile for bonding to PR-14 WB Kwik Prime. All edges were diamond-ground by hand while the terminating edges were saw cut and chased. After the Sika primer was applied, a single coat of Vapor Block at the minimum 60-mil thickness was power troweled to close and compact the wet concrete. Vapor Block is a zero VOC, waterborne, and self-leveling product that handles a wide range of moisture vapor transmission levels up to 15 lbs per 1000 square feet per 24 hours, while significantly strengthening the impact resistance of a flooring system.

“The proper sealing of a concrete slab can eradicate problems caused not only by excess moisture migrating upward, but from other sources such as plumbing leaks or exterior grading,” said Means. “Our extensive prep work and VaporBlock are the reasons that OKI’s floors continue to outperform expectations.”

With the moisture issue resolved, the team was ready to apply the ESD system. After a light grinding to remove any residual power trowel marks, a dissipative primer was applied to absorb and ground the static charge via a series of brass strips installed every 1000 feet and grounded to an electrical outlet or steel pole. Finally, a topcoat was applied for a beautiful finish that has withstood several years of OKI Telecom's heavy production and warehouse traffic.

Thanks to Sika Flooring and Tom Means’ diligence in finding the right solution, OKI Telecom's floor remains bubble- free and has consistent ESD readings throughout the floor.

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