I work for a structural steel contractor working on our first LEED v4 project and we are having difficulty getting our standard shop primer approved by the GC. The paint does not meet the VOC limits for LEED v4, but the paint will be shop applied. The GC has rejected our primer because they don’t want to approve the shop primer and then find out that there’s nothing compliant available to use for touch-ups in the field. This is for the structural steel, but the GC is concerned some touch-ups might be needed after enclosure. Are the LEED v4 VOC limits applicable in this situation? Does field touch-up paint on structural steel fall under the "interior paints and coatings applied on site" category? Do we need to use a different/LEED v4 compliant paint for field touch-ups?
I haven't had an issue on previous LEED projects (v2009) using this same shop-applied primer for touch-ups in the field.
Debra a. Lombard
Construction Administrator/ LEED APBywater Woodworks, Inc.
46 thumbs up
January 31, 2018 - 12:35 pm
not sure about v4, but under v2009 NC anti-corrosive primers' limit = 250 g/l however paints/primers in aerosol cans do not fall under the scope of the EQ credits. (although I try to limit those to 250 for primers if possible.) ~ Debra
Leanne Conrad
Project ManagerEntuitive
19 thumbs up
January 31, 2018 - 1:00 pm
Having just completed construction on a V4 project with structural steel, I can only say what I did, not what has been accepted. Primer applied in the shop was not counted as it is not field applied. For field touchups, there is a roll/brush on touchup primer that can be used. It is more expensive than your typical spraycan, but does comply within the VOC limits. And yes, it is under the interior paints & coatings category.
Susan Walter
HDRLEEDuser Expert
1299 thumbs up
January 31, 2018 - 1:41 pm
Your GC is correct about compatibility between the primer and the top coat systems for steel coatings. You can't apply a primer from one system and use a top coat from a second system. The whole coating system must be designed together. The impact on this can be huge depending on type of conditions the steel would be exposed to by the project and not just the size or quantity of the steel. This isn't the steel fabricator's job to do. Field touch ups are complicated by the amount of exposed steel and the visual of a rolled touch up over a sprayed paint system.
That said, I would always count a field applied primer in a LEED project v3 or v4.