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Inspector's Corner Third-Party Inspectors By Jose Villalobos, Founder and Principal at V&A; Consulting Engineers T hird-party inspection is often one of the frst line items to be cut when owners are looking to reduce costs on water and wastewater coatings projects. However, when job specifcations call for a third-party inspector, eliminating this requirement can have costly consequences. In many cases, qualifed and well-trained third-party inspectors can spot potential issues before they become major problems. From both the owner's and contractor's perspectives, a third-party inspector can alleviate a lot of stress on the jobsite by creating a centralized system of quality assurance and control. For asset owners, third-party inspectors are able to ensure that each step of the job is performed properly so that the coating system does what it's supposed to do: Protect the asset and extend its service life. As for contractors, having a dedicated third-party inspector allows the crew to focus on what it does best: surface preparation and coating application. Terefore, using a third-party inspector should be an important consideration on any water or wastewater coatings jobsite. Certified Inspectors Te best way to ensure that a system of quality assurance and control is in place is to make sure that it is called out in the project specifcations. In particular, quality assurance and control should be addressed in the section that covers documentation, experience of the applicator and the inspector, and, most importantly, in the portion that details the desired end product required for the service conditions of the project. It is highly recommended that the vendor of the coating certify that the applicator is qualifed to apply the specifc system. Tis is typically done through the vendor's certifcation program. Tere will be less confusion and less need for clarifcation during the application of high-performance coatings for water and wastewater facilities if the specifying engineers are very detailed about what is Third-party inspection is often one of the first line items to be cut when owners are looking to reduce costs on water and wastewater coatings projects. 34 JANUARY 2014 COATINGSPROMAG.COM required for these systems. Extreme Exposures One of the primary reasons why thirdparty inspection is so important on water and wastewater coatings projects is because of the harsh environment within and around these types of facilities. Within wastewater pipelines, pump stations, manholes, and other structures, coatings and linings can be exposed to hydrogen sulfde gas. Hydrogen sulfde gas, along with sulfur-reducing bacteria (SRB), can signifcantly damage the concrete substrate by breaking down the concrete's silica and calcium. Te physical environment in and around these structures is also particularly unforgiving, with large volumes of water and wastewater constantly fowing through them. With this being said, proper surface preparation is imperative. Te substrate must be restored to a condition that can readily accept the coating system. On many jobs, a condition