In the latter stages of construction of a high-rise residential complex in one of Australia’s main cities, the client noticed extensive bulging and bubbling of the paint on perforated powder coated panels being used as part of the building’s exterior facade. CETEC was informed that these panels that had been installed onsite less than a year.
Project Details
Services:
Failure Investigation Material Failure
Sectors:
• Construction
Location:
Australia
Our Work
- Conduct investigatory material testing and analysis to determine the cause of failure.
- Provide a comprehensive failure analysis report which also included the reasons for the failure and potential methods to rectify this failure.
Project Highlights
Microscopic examination showed that both sides of the panels exhibited “worm-like filaments” appearing underneath the coating and this lifted the coating away from the aluminum substrate, indicating filiform corrosion.
Cross sectional examination using high magnification Scanning Electron Microscopy revealed coating thickness variation around the edges of the perforation.
The cross-sectional SEM images also showed only one coating layer, indicating no second coating or primer had been applied underneath the topcoat.
The investigation revealed filiform corrosion occurring due to insufficient coating on the edges leading to failure on the aluminum screens.
Our Impact
- Identified the cause of the issues.
- Assisted the client to determine the extent of damage and actions to take.
- Assisted the client to determine suitable remediation methods.