As part of the rebuilding process, construction manager McCarthy Building Cos., Mercy health system, flooring contractor Flooring Systems and tile contractor Zickel Flooring decided that the Tec system was the ideal choice for the new hospital’s subfloor.

 

“From a general contractor's point of view, technical support is incredibly important,” said Jeremy Witts, project manager with McCarthy Building Cos. “Tec sends support directly to the job site.” 

 

According to Witts, Tec's technical team has been involved in the project since its foundation was laid. Tec professionals first visited the hospital in November 2012. They met the flatwork contractor, McCarthy and Mercy to discuss the appropriate concrete surface profiles for their line of surface preparation products and adhesives and observed the initial concrete pours.

 

Mercy Hospital Joplin was constructed with special attention to longevity and durability—from floor to ceiling. Hospitals increasingly recognize the risk to flooring posed by moisture vapor emissions from concrete slabs. Moisture problems cause more than $1 billion in flooring installation failures annually. Hospitals are higher-stakes environments than most, since a flooring failure in a hospital can cause costly temporary shutdowns. For that reason, McCarthy, Flooring Systems, Zickel Flooring and Mercy opted to mitigate 400,000 square-feet of the hospital with Tec The LiquiDam Penetrating Moisture Barrier, which exceeds the ASTM F3010-13 standard for moisture vapor barriers, and doesn’t require shot blasting on green, sound concrete, according to the company.

 

After priming the floor with Tec's Multipurpose Primer, Flooring Systems and Zickel Flooring provided a smooth foundation for the future patients of Joplin Mercy Hospital. 

 

Tec Smooth Start Self-Leveling Underlayment allowed Flooring Systems to quickly correct imperfections, as it cures quickly and corrects up to 1-inch in a single pour, or up to 5-inches in a single aggregate. 

 

“Tec Smooth Start is easy to work with and has a strength of 4,000 PSI,” said Don Robinson, foreman with Flooring Systems. “That strength was important for this hospital, where the subfloor will experience heavy wheel loads from hospital beds and equipment.”

 

Zickel Flooring opted for another Tec self-leveler, Tec EZ Level Premium Self Leveling Underlayment, to prepare the substrate for large format tile. This fast-curing product is walkable in just two to four hours and accepts tile installation in six hours, according to the company, which allowed Zickel to quickly install the large-format tile used at Mercy Hospital Joplin.

 

Tile in the hospital was also installed with Tec products, which help create beautiful, comforting spaces. After waterproofing with Tec HydraFlex Waterproofing Crack Isolation Membrane, Zickel Flooring used Tec mortars and grouts to install 24,000-square-feet of floor tile and 60,000 square feet of stone, glass and tile on walls and columns. 

 

For more information about Tec visit tecspecialty.com.

 

Don Robinson, foreman with Flooring Systems