Purpose & Scope
Section 03.53.00 covers bonded and unbonded concrete toppings used to improve flatness, restore level, or provide a durable wear surface. Because topping performance depends on substrate quality, thickness control, bonding, and curing, even a small deviation in substrate moisture, surface preparation, or placement timing can lead to curling, debonding, or hollow-sounding areas.
The three-phase QAQC flow, Preparatory, Initial, and Follow-Up, establishes clear controls before placement begins, validates the first topping installation, and maintains consistency as production progresses.
FTQ360 ties thickness checks, CSP photos, moisture tests, placement timing, and curing logs to each placement zone, creating a defensible record of topping quality.
What the Checklist Covers
You use this checklist across the full topping workflow, substrate preparation, moisture testing, primer application, placement, finishing, and curing.
Preparatory steps confirm substrate soundness, crack routing, cleaning, CSP requirements, moisture conditions, primers, reinforcement (if any), and topping thickness plans.
These directly address the root causes of curling and debonding. In the Initial phase, inspectors verify the first placement’s thickness, bond, workability, placement sequence, and curing start.
During Follow-Up, the checklist tracks coverage, temperature, finishing consistency, wet edge control, curing, and broadcast materials (if applicable).
At completion, inspectors verify curing duration, surface condition, flatness, and document all repairs by location.
Common Failure Modes & Risk Prevention
Concrete topping has recurring field issues because bond, moisture, thickness, and surface condition all interact throughout placement and early cure.
Most topping failures originate in the Preparatory and Initial phases, where substrate preparation and thickness control establish the topping’s long-term performance.
The failure modes below link directly to FTQ360 checkpoints throughout all three phases.
Curling at slab edges
Root cause: Moisture imbalance from varying topping thickness, inadequate curing, or differential drying at edges.
Field indicators: Lifted slab edges, gaps under straightedges, hollow-sounding perimeters, or early cracking at control joints.
FTQ360 Inspection: Preparatory-phase checks verify target thickness plans; Initial-phase records document actual topping thickness and curing start time; Follow-Up logs capture temperature trends and curing duration to reveal moisture imbalance patterns.
Debonding from substrate
Root cause: Insufficient CSP, dust or contaminants, excessive moisture in substrate, incompatible primers, or poor surface cleaning.
Field indicators: Drummy or hollow-sounding areas, patch pop-outs, delamination at edges, or widespread bond shear failures.
FTQ360 Inspection: Preparatory-phase CSP verification and moisture readings establish readiness; Initial-phase photos document primer coverage; Follow-Up entries track bond checks by zone, revealing recurring surface-prep issues.
Surface rippling or uneven texture
Root cause: Variable substrate temperature, premature set from admixtures, inconsistent flow or finishing sequence.
Field indicators: Wavy texture, roller streaks, trowel marks, or inconsistent sheen.
FTQ360 Inspection: Preparatory-phase environmental controls; Initial-phase documentation of flow/workability; Follow-Up logs track finishing sequence and temperature so patterns become visible.
Cold joints between placement areas
Root cause: Delays between pours, poor coordination, or workability loss due to fast set.
Field indicators: Visible seams, texture variation, shading differences, or joint cracking.
FTQ360 Inspection: Initial-phase placement-timing logs establish proper working windows; Follow-Up entries track pacing across zones to identify drift that could cause cold joints.
Checklist Preview
Click to expand
Preparatory Phase
Prepare for success by verifying that personnel, materials, equipment, and documentation are ready for work to begin. Inspectors confirm substrate cleaning, crack repair, CSP profile, moisture testing, primer compatibility, thickness controls, and placement sequencing.
These checks address the primary root causes of debonding, curling, and cold joints. Environmental conditions, wet-edge planning, finishing tools, and curing materials are reviewed. FTQ360 captures CSP and substrate photos, moisture readings, and primer requirements so the Initial phase begins from validated substrate conditions.
Initial Phase
This phase confirms that work starts correctly. Inspectors verify substrate condition, primer application, topping thickness, workability, placement sequence, and curing start, the controls that directly counter the failure modes of curling, cold joints, and bond failure.
Photos document the first topping area, including key thickness measurements and coverage uniformity. Deviations such as thickness variations, missed primer spots, or early texture defects are corrected before production expands.
Follow-Up Phase
This phase aims to keep work proceeding correctly. Inspectors track zone-by-zone thickness, coverage, temperature, and curing consistency.
These checks connect directly to the indicators identified in the failure modes, curling, texture rippling, cold joint formation, and debonding.
With FTQ360’s location-linked entries, inspectors can identify whether issues cluster at certain slab edges, curing zones, or temperature hot spots.
Completion, Final Acceptance & Closeout
All of the work culminates with a final result; this phase ensures the completed installation meets project requirements. Inspectors verify flatness, texture consistency, curing completion, bond condition, and repair locations.
Final topping acceptance is supported by FTQ360’s complete data trail, substrate preparation photos, CSP profile documentation, moisture logs, thickness readings, and curing records, assembled into a single closeout package.
References and Other Specification Systems
References
ASTM C109 – Standard Test Method for Compressive Strength of Hydraulic Cement Mortars.
Other Specification Systems
UFGS 03 53 00 Concrete Topping
FTQ360 Inspection & QAQC Platform
FTQ360 runs on tablets and phones (online or offline), allowing inspectors to capture photos and measurements at the point of work.
Required fields and conditional logic prevent skips and enforce holds. Time and user stamps maintain traceability, and lot/location tracking ties each reinforcement inspection to the pour or structural element.
Dashboards reveal patterns, such as recurring low cover or splice drift, so teams can correct issues before they propagate across floors or shear walls.
How to Use the Free Template (quick start)
Prefer the FTQ360 in-app setup?
Open Checklist Setup → Library, search for the code and tap to clone the checklist.
Then tailor checkpoint templates to your requirements.
If your team still needs paper in select areas, you can print the PDF from the FTQ360 app, mark it up in the field, then transcribe results and attach photos later, just note that paper won’t enforce required fields, conditional logic, or holds like the app does.
For step-by-step help, visit support.ftq360.com.
MasterSpec® and MasterFormat® are registered trademarks. This blog references section numbers and titles for clarity only and does not reproduce proprietary content.
