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to a film, forming a moisture barrier. Poor ing process. Depending on the prevailing
placement practices can create an addition atmospheric conditions, a typical concrete
al problem as rock-pocket voids can form at deck may take months to rid itself of excess
the bottom face of the roof deck. Concrete water. Ideally, unused mix water will
cure water in combination with water that migrate to the upper surface and evaporate
enters cracks in the slab can become prior to the application of roofing materials.
trapped within the rock pockets, resulting Some water will also migrate downward and
in a water reservoir between the concrete accumulate at the slab and pan interface.
and the steel pan.
Fluted decks with perforations or steel
A number of field application techniques decks that have been breached will allow for
can exacerbate slab pitfalls over the solid this moisture to pass to the interior.
steel pan. A solid pan can retain water if
Concrete decks typically cure for a peri
there is residual
od of 28 days to
mix water not
reach
design
consumed in the
strength. During
hydration of the
this four-week per
cement and/or
iod, the deck is ex
rainwater that per
posed to weather,
colates through
including rain. In
cracks to the steel
some cases, the
pan
interface.
concrete surface is
Voids in the con
treated with sodi
crete can accumu
um silicate or
late water, which
other
chemical
will run to low
compounds
to
points in the pan Figure 3: Core into a concrete slab to the solid
bind the free lime,
and remain for an pan below.
reducing the pene
extended period of
tration of water
time. Changes to the concrete mix, such as into the slab. Roofing usually begins when
the addition of water on site (a common the moisture levels are low enough to
practice used to increase workability and ensure a quality bond between the deck and
facilitate placement), can change the mix the adhesive materials used to bond the
and make it more susceptible to moisture first roofing component. Some of the more
retention. This can increase the number of common test methods used to determine
capillary voids, the permeability of the con the suitability of the deck as a bonding sub
crete, and quantity of the mix water not strate include:
consumed in the hydration of the cement.
Asphalt Pour Test (traditional
The curing methods employed can also
roofing method): a pint of hot
play a role in surface cracking of the con
asphalt is poured onto the deck at
crete pour. Weather, during both the casting
the specified temperature to deter
and cure, will play a significant role in the
mine if a bond is formed between the
suitability of the deck as a roofing substrate
asphalt and the concrete deck. If the
since a primary source of the water will, in
asphalt begins to froth or the cooled
virtually all cases, come from precipitation.
asphalt can easily be peeled from
Generally speaking, about half of the mix
the deck, it is not, at the time of test
water will be consumed in the chemical curing, suitable for asphalt application.
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exposed to the interior space. If the underside of the deck is painted, minor amounts
of concrete exposed on the underside are
hardly noticed.
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Crack Control
While it is not
feasible to eliminate
shrinkage cracking
in a concrete roof
deck, it can, for the
most part, be con
trolled. Even with
appropriate crackcontrol techniques,
the flutes and inden
tations in a steel
deck will have the
effect of partial
restraint of the con
crete within the com
posite deck, which
may cause hairline
cracks to develop
throughout the con
crete as it cures. Figure 9 (above): Example of semiThese small cracks adhered modified bitumen base
can be sources of sheet.
water entry into the
Figure 10 (right): Steel deck
composite assembly.
with perforated flutes.
Hairline cracks in
the concrete surface
are inevitable. Covering the deck with plas
tic or wet tarps as a part of the cure process
can minimize water entry but will not total
ly eliminate it. If the steel deck is perforated The Roof Assembly
The type of roof assemblies designed for
and the concrete mix is designed to mini
mize residual moisture after cement hydra this application can also minimize the
tion, hairline cracking and subsequent impact of moisture within the deck assem
water entry at penetration joints should not bly. These types of roof systems should be
significantly contribute to the long-term considered when a roof must be applied
before the completion of the 28-day cure,
accumulation of water.
when some level of residual moisture can be
Surface Preparations
expected. The deck must be dry enough to
Chemical treatments such as sodium accept ASTM D-41 primer or other adhe
silicate can be applied to the deck surface sives, creating a strong bonding interface
that will bind the free lime on the top 1/16" between the concrete deck and roof assem
of the deck surface, maximizing bond bly components. The adhesion should be
strength of the adhesives to the concrete tested prior to full-scale application of any
8
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Figure 11:
Splice plate for
perimeter
upstand.
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10 INTERFACE
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