BACKGROUND: Through a combination of new construction and renovation of existing space, the site of the former St. Francis medical center will transform into The New Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh. Located in Pittsburgh's Lawrenceville neighborhood, the $425 million state-of-the-art facility will encompass a total of 1.3 million square feet, including a 230,000 square foot, 10-story building dedicated to pediatric medical research. Construction for the project is being managed by Dick Corporation.

CHALLENGE: Product specifications for the project were in place, but the cement finisher, PJ Dick needed a easy to work with product that would give him a better, smoother finish.

SOLUTION: Tim Fondelier of Dayton Superior and representatives from Pittsburgh area distributor A.R. Chambers provided mock-ups and samples of several flooring products to project managers, superintendents. PJ Dick, was so impressed with the smoother texture and better workability of Dayton Superior's products that the specifications were changed.

Two products, LeveLayer and Sure Finish, have played an integral role in the project. LeveLayer, is a premium, self-leveling underlayment that levels the subfloor prior to the final finish floor. Similarly, Sure Finish, a polymer-modified, trowelable underlayment, has been used to "feather finish" those areas where full sub-floor preparation was not required, providing an exceptionally smooth surface prior to final finish.

“We used a significant amount of Dayton's Levelayer and Sure Finish on this project, and it performed beautifully from beginning to end. The support we received from our Dayton Superior representative Tim Fondelier and Rick Jump from our distributor AR Chambers was invaluable to the project's success,” Bob Bucci, general superintendent for PJ Dick stated.

The cement finishing foreman for the project, Derek Gromacki concurred, “I have used other underlayment products in the past, but after the performance of Dayton's Levelayer, and particularly the Sure Finish, I will not use anything else in the future.”

Over the course of construction, PJ Dick has utilized twelve to sixteen truckloads of LeveLayer and Sure Finish. It is expected that the project will require another one or two truckloads over the next six to nine months. Other Dayton Superior products being supplied to the project include; J22WB - a curing and sealing compound used in a variety of locations on the project, J29WB - a silane sealer being utilized in the loading and parking facilities, and J42 - primer for the underlayment product.