The PIA Advantage
THE PIA ADVANTAGE
We often come across organizations that mistakenly compare Barrier One PIA (Porosity Inhibiting Admix) to Moisture Vapor Reduction Admixtures or MVRAs. Both Barrier One PIA and MVRAs are marketed as products that will help eliminate the threat of moisture emanating from concrete. Both types of products are admixtures. That’s where the similarities end.
We use the image of the telegraph and smartphone to illustrate that while the telegraph will have limited use, it simply cannot compare to the smartphone. Do they both aid in communication? Yes. Which would you prefer to use?
MVRA’s are sodium silicate based products and as their name implies, they ‘reduce’ moisture vapor. Using an older, sodium silicate based technology, we often describe them as ‘water glass’. The limited warranties associated with these products might include a few years of protection or perhaps they require that any problems require the use of other products in their line. Regardless, should you have a claim, they often only cover the cost of the product. Moreover, MVRAs are only distributed by salesman with manufacturing left to a third party.
Barrier One PIA is manufactured and distributed here in the United States from our own plant. We manufacture onsite and can ship any quantity needed immediately. In only days, our product is delivered to the Ready Mix supplier. Because we are a U.S. based company, you can rest assured travel restrictions and delays due to Covid-19 are not an issue. We have continued to produce and ship throughout our national shutdown.
Barrier One PIA is a sodium silicate free complex formula. With Barrier One PIA in the concrete, you render the slab non-hygroscopic. Because Barrier One PIA helps shut down the capillary and pore structure, the molecules of moisture have nowhere to go. The concrete remains dense, unable to shrink. Corrosion is also no longer an issue as imbedded metals are protected from moisture movement that would typically cause the metal to rust.
Testing is a big part of our process. Barrier One PIA includes daily testing on every project to ensure your concrete is working as designed. MVRAs can’t offer such a high level of independent research. If you are told otherwise, simply ask for the testing data.
Tracer technology is also a part of Barrier One PIA. When you specify a product, are you one hundred percent certain your concrete was dosed properly? With Barrier One, you can rest assured that our product is in the concrete because it includes a quantifiable tracer. With this tracer, we can determine how much Barrier One PIA is in the mix design and ensure it was dosed properly. This ensures that as a firm that specifies Barrier One PIA, you know the product is in the project.
These are only a few of the differences between Barrier One PIA and MVRAs. MVRAs have their place, however, that place is not alongside Barrier One PIA.
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