Downtown parking garage slab in Portland has me rethinking heavy broom finishes

I was in Portland last month for a job and walked through a parking garage on 3rd Avenue. The whole top deck was poured with a heavy broom finish and it's already cracking at the control joints after just two winters of snow and salt. Everyone I talk to says heavy broom is the way to go for traction but that garage is a mess. Has anyone else seen heavy broom finishes fail faster than a light broom or a tined finish on a heavily salted surface?

2 comments

2 Comments

wadeg921d ago

Tried something similar on my folks’ driveway back in Ohio a few years ago. Ended up looking like a giant washboard after one winter of salt. My brother said it resembled a Braille map of the neighborhood. Live and learn, I guess - light broom or medium tine has held up way better on my own jobs since. The heavy stuff just traps moisture and salt in those deep grooves, in my experience. Maybe it works in warmer climates but for snow belt areas, it’s a gamble.

quinns2019h ago

omg no way, you're totally right about the heavy stuff trapping moisture. but i gotta gently push back on the "one winter of salt" thing. its more about the freeze-thaw cycles, not the salt itself. the salt just speeds up the damage cause it keeps the concrete wet longer. up here in michigan we get brutal winters and ive seen light broom finishes chip too if the concrete was poured when it was too cold. medium tine is def the sweet spot though, i switched to that a couple years ago and its been solid.