Industrial Concrete Flooring - Specification Guide

 

 

INTRODUCTION

The concrete floor in any manufacturing or processing industry is the heart of the business. The uninterrupted use and serviceability of that concrete floor for production are vital to the profitability of the enterprise. In many industrial environments, the concrete floor is subjected to aggressive (mechanical) or corrosive (chemical) processes or materials, that damage the floor. This damage costs the owner large sums in maintenance or replacement, and reduced productivity. For the owner, a far worse expense is the cost in repair-downtime of the floor, with attendant loss of production and worse, loss of customers!

THE PROBLEMS WITH NORMAL CONCRETE FLOORS

Normal, or “plain” concrete, no matter how “good” it is, has several deficiencies in its properties as a structural material for industrial floors. All plain concrete;-

  • Dusts, shrinks, cracks, chips and spalls
  • Corrodes, stains, gets wet, transmits damp and moisture, harbours bacteria and germs
  • Requires joints, in effect, “breaking” up a floor into smaller pieces. The joints become another, separate, on-going problem altogether (chipping, dusting, erosion, cleaning, etc.).

CEMENTAID ENHANCED PROPERTIES CONCRETE FLOORS

The modern metallurgist combines proven additives with iron, to change the properties of that basic, brittle metal. This process creates steel, or, an enhanced property “iron”. Various additives create different properties for a variety of “steels”. The modern concrete designer uses this same concept to eliminate or minimise the above, undesirable properties of plain concrete, and to enhance the desirable properties of this construction material. Cementaid concrete control compounds and surface treatments deliver enhanced property concretes for high-performance, low-maintenance industrial floors. Floors that measurably contribute to the profitability of all industrial enterprises. Cementaid concrete industrial floors deliver the optimum maximum results in all criteria of;

Safety * Performance * Appearance * Cost * Economy

Use this Specification Guide in conjunction with the individual Cementaid product Data Sheets to specify your enhanced property industrial concrete floors. And remember, if you are using Everdure Caltite System ingredients for your floor, (e.g. to prevent corrosion, or dampness), then you can also eliminate all expansion joints and saw cuts too, owing to Caltite concretes’ low shrinkage and volumetric stability – Just contact a Cementaid Technical Service Representative for advice on large, “one-piece”, seamless Caltite System floors, or for any other service or information you may require.

JUST ASK!

There will almost never be a one-size-fits-all workshop floor construction solution. The optimum type of admixtures for the concrete (corrosion proof, waterproof, oil proof, impact proof, etc.), and the optimum surface treatments for the floor (integral steel fibre, chemical hardeners, colour, plastic impregnation, full high-build polymers, etc.) that are needed to deliver the right, low maintenance, optimum minimum cost, high performance workshop floor will be determined by the customers’ needs. To ensure the right floor performance, Cementaid recommends that owners, designers and specifiers consult with Cementaid prior to specification, about the most suitable materials and products to deliver the optimum workshop floor under the anticipated service conditions. Cementaid will be delighted to answer any specific questions you may have, and to send you detailed proposals that will solve your particular problems and needs for concrete performance in any industrial situation. E-mail, fax, call or write to us with your job specifications and requirements, and we’ll contact you to discuss your requirements, then e-mail back to you a fully detailed proposal.

Top:  Multi-Purpose Floor – 3,000m2 Joint – free, Hardened Freezable, for use as ice-rink Bottom:  13,000m2 Bulk Fertiliser floor: Jointless, Corrosion- proof, Membrane- Free, Hardened & Sealed

SERVICE
ENVIRONMENT
EFFECT ON
CONCRETE SURFACE
RECOMMENDED
SPECIFICATION
EFFECT OF
SPECIFICATION
General, no specific hazardSlight wear, some crackingSuperPlastet recommended to enhance all concrete floors40% increased hardness / low dust
20-30% less shrinkage
General traffic and wearDusting and frettingSuperPlastet + Diamite
Abrasion resistance increased 400-600%
Ground damp, general floorsColdness or dampEverdure Caltite System, or
3CC System, or Aquapel + SuperPlastet
98% reduction of damp
90% reduction of damp
Warehousing / Manufacturing (fork-lifts), Car Parking / WorkshopsSevere abrasion & erosion / Aggregate exposure / Dusting
Staining and soiling
Diamite + Rokite5 to 8 x life of untreated floor
Total elimination of dust.
Anti-staining & easy cleaning
Cold Rooms / Chiller RoomsBreak-up from freeze / thaw
Caltite System + Rokite5 to 8 x life of untreated floor
Wet, swampy or acidic soilSevere damp + corrosionEverdure Caltite System98% reduction of transpiration
No corrosion
Sulphates or chlorides
contaminated or re-claimed land,
marine / coastal environments
Spalling and Disintegration through wick actionEverdure Caltite System500-600% life increase
No corrosion
Organic soil, acid, waterSlow corrosion3CC System500-600% life increase
Impact and point-contact loads. Heavy machinery work.Chipping and shatteringSuperPlastet +Steelite200-300% effective life improvement
Impact and point contact loads, with wet environmentShipping and shattering3CC System or Everdure Caltite System +Steelite200-300% effective life improvement
Mineral oils and solventsSevere staining, "sweating", corrosion in some casesDiamite + Rokite PR200-400% effective life improvement
Jet fuels and high temp lubricantsSevere staining, corrosion in some casesDiamite + SuperShield200-300% effective life improvement
Fruit juices, sugars, etc. (sugar refineries / terminals, soft drinksRapid corrosiona) Everdure Caltite System or 3CC System +
b) Diamite + Rokite or SuperShield
5 to 8 x life of untreated floor
Organic acids, acid tanning liquors, vegetable materialsCorrosionEverdure Caltite System or 3CC System + Diamite + Rokite or SuperShield5 to 8 x life of untreated floor
Acids, nitric, sulphuric and hydrochloric
Superphoshate works.
Very severe corrosionEverdure Caltite System
+ Diamite + SuperShield
5 to 8 x life of untreated floor
Abattoirs / Tanneries (animal fats, offal, blood)
Meat-works / Food Processing
Animal Husbandry / Quarantine (stables, kennels, etc.)
Public Conveniences
Severe corrosion and surface break-up / deterioration
Bacterial contamination
Strong odours
Poor hygiene
Unsafe working conditions
Everdure Caltite System or 3CC System + Diamite + Rokite or SuperShield + Calgrains or Steelite, where appropriate.
5 to 8 x life of untreated floor.
Protects against odours and prevents bacterial contamination of floor
3 to 5 x normal coefficient of friction + impact resistance
Alcohol, beer, wine, etc. (breweries, wineries, hotels, bars, nightclubsRapid corrosion / deterioration from organic acids / bacterial action etc.3CC System or Everdure Caltite System + Diamite + Rokite6 to 10 x life of untreated normal concrete
MolassesSlow corrosion from acids of fermentation3CC System + Diamite + Rokite5 to 10 x life of untreated floor
VinegarDisintegratesEverdure Caltite System + Diamite + Rokite6 to 10 x life of untreated normal concrete
Hypo, (Sodium Hyposulphate)DisintegratesEverdure Caltite System + Diamite + Rokite6 to 10 x life of untreated normal concrete	
Electrolytic plating work, fluid spillageElectrolytic plating work, fluid spillage DisintegratesEverdure Caltite System + Diamite + Rokite or SuperShield5 to 8 x life of untreated normal concrete
Caustic SodaAffects siliceous aggregates3CC System + Diamite + Rokite5 to 8 x life of untreated normal concrete
UrineSevere corrosion3CC System + Diamite + Rokite5 to 8 x life of untreated normal concrete
Printer's inkSevere staining, and some corrosionDiamite + Rokite500-600% life increase
Cold Storage roomsSlippery surfaces, some freeze/thaw crackingN-Tair + Everdure Caltite System + Diamite + Rokite400-500% life increase
Wool storesAbrasion of surface (dusting) Prevention of damp, and spontaneous combustionDiamite + 3CC System400-600% increase in abrasion resistance
90% reduction in damp transmission
Chlorides (of Ammonia, etc.)Slow disintegrationDiamite + Rokite400-600% increase of life
Nitrates of Ammonia

Sulphates of Ammonia
DisintegrationEverdure Caltite System + Diamite + Rokite5 to 8 x life of untreated normal concrete
Vegetable OilsSlow disintegrationDiamite + Rokite + Calgrains5 to 10 x life of untreated floor
Increased traction for worker safety

Cementaid will be delighted to answer any specific questions you may have, and to send you detailed proposals that will solve your particular problems and needs for concrete performance in any industrial situation. E-mail, fax, call or write to us with your job specifications and requirements, and we’ll e-mail back to you a fully detailed proposal.