1350.04.01.01.01 – General…

1350.04.01.01.01 – General 

The inclusion of the clause “including but not limited to resistance to salt scaling on concrete surfaces exposed to de-icers and/or anti-icers” introduces significant implications and concerns for concrete producers, as outlined below:

• Salt scaling concerns have remained unresolved despite extensive discussion at ORBA Structures Committee meetings over the past three years.
• Concrete producers are not licensed by Professional Engineers Ontario (PEO) to provide consulting engineering services and therefore cannot assess or design for unknown winter maintenance practices used by the Owner.
• The industry does not have knowledge of the specific de-icing or anti-icing materials, their chemical composition, application methods, or application rates, all of which significantly influence scaling performance.
• It has been observed that certain de-icing chemicals used by Owners can chemically attack cement paste, further complicating the ability to ensure scaling resistance.
• The specification does not define any acceptance criteria, test methods, or prequalification procedures for evaluating “resistance to salt scaling.”
• Without defined testing or performance criteria, it is not possible for producers to provide reliable guidance or ensure long-term scaling resistance of concrete in service.
• The requirement effectively obligates concrete to perform against any future de-icing product or practice selected by the Owner, creating an open-ended and unquantifiable risk.

• This places responsibility on concrete suppliers for factors outside their control and beyond their scope of work.