An industrial floor is subject to wear and tear throughout its whole operational life. The deterioration produced by the traffic of heavy machinery, the impact of falling objects and by any other usage implication.
As a result of all these causes of damage, it’s expected that cracks, fissures, joint deterioration will appear on the concrete floor’s surface.
When all these concrete conditions are combined in a single state of deterioration, traditional repair methods are no longer functional on their own. This situation is a sign that the floor needs a restoration.
Restoring an industrial floor is a process that allows eradicating all the concrete’s deterioration, generating a new surface to transit.
The importance of having an industrial floor in good condition
In addition to the fact that a deteriorated floor is unsightly for an industrial warehouse, it will have a negative impact on the industrial activities taken in place.
Machinery traffic can’t circulate properly in industrial buildings with deteriorated pavement, as cracks cause discomfort and interruptions. These imperfections, when not avoided, affect the vehicle’s mechanical system.
A deteriorated floor can jeopardize the structural integrity of the concrete. In addition, a damaged floor releases considerable amounts of detrimental dust.
The importance of a floor in good condition is that it eliminates all damaging effects caused by defects. This allows the correct progress of all industrial activities.
However, it must be understood that a floor in good condition is not completely immune to cracks, fissures, etc.
To have a floor in good condition, you must resort to maintenance and restoration operations depending on the state in which it’s in.
How is an industrial concrete floor restoration carried out?
To start the restoration of a concrete floor, it’s necessary to remove the deteriorated surface, through an operation known as grinding.
Generally, isn’t necessary to clean the surface before grinding, as this will remove all cracks and dirt from the floor.
Subsequently, the floorings surface must be prepared to proceed with an adherent primer. This primer will prepare the grinded section to pour the mortar.
The mortar which is used has a varied composition, in addition to cement, sand and water, it can contain resins and pigments. In some cases, lithium is often added to create a stronger surface.
In addition, self-leveling mortars can also be used to obtain an optimal flat and smooth surface.
Lastly, a coating or finish is applied to the flooring.
Restore or rebuild an industrial floor, what is better?
The rehabilitation of an industrial floor can be done in the form of restoration or reconstruction. The decision between applying one or the other alternative will depend on certain structural conditions and economic considerations.
Most industrial warehouse owners tend to prefer concrete floor restoration over rebuilding. Mainly, because in addition to being faster and cheaper, it’s a less invasive process.
However, we will carefully evaluate the implications of each situation:
When should a concrete floor be restored?
A floor should be restored when fault repair and maintenance work have lost their value.
A pavement that requires restoration, is in a state of combined deterioration, where the different cracks coexist with fissures, thus generating a lattice network that weakens the concrete structure.
The combined state of deterioration (concrete cracks and fissures) can be eliminated by using conventional repairs. However, the healing effect will be short-term.
This means that the expenses generated over constant renovations of this type, end up being an inefficient investment.
Having said that, it’s recommended to renew a pavement when it is near the end of its useful life, or when maintenance work has been neglected for a long period of time.
When should a floor be rebuilt?
Reconstruction is the most drastic case in renewing a floor. This should be carried out when restoration of concrete floor, repair and maintenance are useless, that is, when they represent a pointless investment.
A floor must be rebuilt when flaws and structural defects are insurmountable, due to design deficiencies and / or errors in the construction of the building.
Floor failure assessment methods are the best tool to determine whether or not to proceed with reconstruction, as it provides an in-depth diagnosis that reveals the real causes of deterioration.
With this, it becomes clearer to determine what type of renewal should be applied.
Alternatives to renovating a pavement
The main alternative to renovation is repair.
Floor repair preserves its aesthetic and surface regularity using simple activities to fix damaged joints, close cracks, and other manifestations of deterioration.
Although floor repairs are affordable, they have less of a healing effect than renovation, as they can only eliminate specific, individual defects.
On the other hand, maintenance is the best way to prolong the renovation time, especially if it’s applied periodically and uninterruptedly.
Likewise, maintenance eliminates the need for repairs, as it keeps cracks closed and joints sealed.
In addition, maintenance allows the surface to remain waterproofed.
However, chemical treatments can be used during its construction to obtain an ideal finishes.
The BECOSAN® industrial floor treatment stands out for increasing the hardness of conventional concrete flooring, making it stronger and long lasting.