University Health Systems (UHS)
Location: San Antonio, TX
- General Contractor:
ZVL (Zachery-Vaughn-Layton) - Square Footage: 1.1 million sf
- Products: Laticrete® SUPERCAP®, moisture barrier, wear surfaces & ceramic tile
When a 1.1 million square-foot healthcare facility discovers high moisture content in the substrate after walls and finishes are already in place, the path forward gets complicated fast. University Health Systems in San Antonio needed Intertech to solve multiple problems at once: remove an incorrectly applied primer, install moisture mitigation across 430,000 square feet and get the project back on schedule.
THE CHALLENGE
The general contractor hadn't been given accurate information about the substrate's high moisture content, which would have led to floor failure without proper mitigation. Moisture barrier and self-leveling concrete were necessary, but the space already had walls and some finishes in place. Making matters worse, a sodium silicate primer had been mistakenly specified and applied to the substrate.
That primer would act as a bond breaker for the moisture barrier Intertech recommended, so it had to be shot-blasted off before work could proceed. The GC faced the reality of having to shot-blast, apply a moisture barrier, apply primer and pour a self-leveling cap in space that was no longer open. Their weekly schedule was falling way behind.
OUR SOLUTION
Intertech conducted ICRI certified moisture and alkalinity tests and identified that about 90% of the flooring needed moisture mitigation. We established budgets and timelines, with the key being to deliver about 20,000 square feet per week so all the trades following the floor prep could continue working. That was accomplished over several months by the Intertech Laticrete® SUPERCAP® team working closely with the GC.
We were also charged with meeting critical flatness requirements over long distances to accommodate a magnetic robot track system. Building access was very difficult at this stage, but because Laticrete® SUPERCAP® is mixed outside the building, the only thing that goes inside is a hose, eliminating load-in issues. The Intertech SUPERCAP team strategically moved the SUPERCAP Mobile Blending Truck around the building perimeter and staged the hose to deliver SUPERCAP efficiently.
Texas summer weather can be brutally hot, requiring all concrete to be poured in the middle of the night. The Intertech and Laticrete SUPERCAP team engineered a custom chiller unit that negated the 100-plus-degree daily temperatures. The chiller unit allows SUPERCAP to be mixed at 54 degrees and poured at 72 degrees, creating optimal lab conditions. Intertech was awarded the installation of the wear surfaces and most of the ceramic installations throughout the project.
THE RESULTS
Over several months, our team delivered approximately 20,000 square feet of finished floor per week, keeping all follow-on trades on schedule despite the setbacks. The custom-engineered chiller unit solved the Texas heat challenge, allowing us to pour during summer nights at optimal temperatures.
Our work met the critical flatness specifications required for the magnetic robot track system, and we successfully completed 430,000 square feet of Laticrete® SUPERCAP® installation along with wear surfaces and ceramic tile throughout this massive 1.1 million square-foot healthcare facility. The project demonstrates how technical expertise and problem-solving can turn potential failure into successful execution.
