I had a little tete-a-tete with a Contractor not long ago, who insisted that the the old tried-and-true painted-on coal-tar epoxy method was the best and cheapest way to go, over "newfangled" methods such as "fusion" epoxy coating (c.f. ASTM A950), which as I understand it, is a "baked-on" powder coating technology.
Being a bit easily impressed as I am with "the newest thing," I had assumed that the powder-coating would be superior, not least in its durability.
He claims that "everyone knows" that the ASTM A950 method was "a failure". He specifically said "if you 'jeep' it, it goes of like a geiger counter," meaning I presume, that there is a problem with lots and lots and lots of "Holidays" with the ASTM A950 method.
Obviously this is not something I can speak to from experience, but I'm sure someone here certainly can. What if anything do you know of the various methods for coating sheet piles, pipe piles, etc.? Is this guy's information correct, that one should NEVER specify ASTM A950?