Installation of concrete and polymer floors

Concrete floor installation

Installation of concrete floors in industrial buildings

The install of polymer floors

The install of polymeric floors on concrete

Concrete floor installation

Concrete floors are floors that are made of a concrete mix of a certain brand.

Before performing work on the installation of concrete floors, at the design stage, it is necessary to take into account the conditions under which the floor will be used.

 

Concrete industrial floors

What kind of concrete is needed for floors?

It all depends on the load that will affect the floor.

Concrete floor, for frequent construction and for industrial, will be of different grade (M) and class (B).

Concrete grade (M) and concrete class (B)

Concrete grade (M)  - the main characteristic that determines the compressive strength, after 28 days, after full setting and curing.

• This is an indicator of the quality of concrete, the characteristics of frost resistance and water resistance.

• However, the brand of concrete determines the approximate characteristic, as it shows average indicators.

Concrete class (B)  is a parameter of concrete that determines the compressive strength, just like the brand, but unlike it, it correctly determines the strength of concrete.

• The difference in the class of concrete (B) and the grade of concrete (M) lies in the method for determining the strength.

• In project documentation, concrete is designated only as class B, but in construction practice, the concrete grade is still used. 

• Conformity of grades and classes of concrete is established in accordance with GOST 26633-91 “Concrete heavy and fine-grained. Specifications".

 

Brushed concrete floor

Consider in more detail the classification of brands:

• M-100 (B 7.5)  - concrete with a low content of cement, it is classified as lightweight concrete, the "screed" type.

• M-150 (B 12.5)  - this brand is slightly different from the M-100 in its characteristics. M-150 (B 12.5) is used as a base for flooring, finishing screed, rough screed, footing and foundations in the construction of small projects. Concrete is made on the basis of fine crushed granite.

• M-200 (B15) -  is a popular type of concrete, which is used in the construction of structures with light ceilings, in the construction of structures, not higher than two floors.

• M-250 (B20) - this concrete is used for the construction of elements with a small load. Flight of stairs, concrete platforms, unloaded ceilings, etc. 

• M-300 (B22.5) -  used as a finishing concrete slab in the overall floor construction system.  The material is less afraid of moisture, temperature changes, it has increased frost resistance. Usually, M-300 is used for pouring various types of foundations, paths, landings, stairs. 

• M-350 (B25) -  used as a finishing cake in concrete floors. Also, under a polymeric floor and install of concrete floors with cement hardener. M-350 is used for the manufacture of airfield and road slabs intended for operation in extreme conditions.

• M-400 (B30) - used for the construction of bridge structures, hydraulic structures, special reinforced concrete products with specific requirements for strength and reliability.

• M-450 (B35) -  mainly used in the production of hydraulic structures, bridges, special reinforced concrete structures, dams and other structures with specific characteristics.

•  M-500 (B40) - this brand of concrete is used for the manufacture of special reinforced concrete structures, bridges, hydraulic structures, storage facilities, subways, dams and other structures with special requirements. In all standard recipes, accompanying documentation and certificates, this brand is indicated as M-550. Features of the M-550 brand are fast solidification, high compressive and tensile strength.

As you can see, concrete for floors in the private sector, M150-M250 will be enough.

Installation of concrete floors in industrial buildings

As a rule, in industrial concrete floors, concrete M300-M350 is used.

This type of concrete is able to withstand static and dynamic loads.

 

Warehouse concrete floors

Concrete floor laying

Concrete floor, can be laid on soft base and hard base.

The soft basis is any kinds, in advance condensed soils.

• Sand.

• Rubble.

• Clay, etc.

Rigid base  - rough concrete slab or footing.

• On the compacted soil, lay the concrete mixture, M150-M200.

• Before reinforcement, a polypropylene membraine is laid on the prepared base .

• Carry out the arrangement of formwork or fixed profiles.

 

Concrete platform device

Concrete floor reinforcement

Reinforcement of a concrete floor is calculated during design, depending on the loads.

Types of concrete floor reinforcement

• Metal armature.

• Metal grid.

• Metal fiber.

• Polypropylene fiber.

• Basalt reinforcement.

• Basalt fiber, etc.

 

Installation of industrial concrete floors

Concrete laying

• The supply of concrete mixture is carried out using concrete mixers, or a concrete pump.

• Concrete is distributed along the plane, according to the given floor thickness.

• Excess water (milk) is driven off the floor plane.

• Concrete is rubbed with a disk and blades.

• The concrete floor is coated with a membrane-forming varnish and covered with a film for smooth maturation and reduction of cracking.

This technology, the device of a concrete floor, allows you to operate the floors in different industries.

• Agriculture.

• Warehouses.

• Industrial premises.

• Parking, etc.

• When installing an industrial floor for car washes.

 

Concrete floors

One of the disadvantages of this technology is the formation of cement dust later, if the concrete floors are not dedusted.

Read our section “Questions and Answers”, where we consider the issue of “Dedusting of concrete floors”.

Install of polymer floors

The application of polymer coatings is carried out on a concrete base, which we have already completed, above in the article.

What are the requirements for the base for polymer floors?

Consider a general system for polymer coatings.

 

Polymer floors for production

Primer for polymer floors

• Primer, used in polymer coating systems, on almost all types of mineral substrates.

• The most common types are new or old concrete bases, self-leveling cement masses, and specialized cement repair mortars.

• Work on the device of a polymer coating, using the necessary primer, on traditional concrete, must be carried out no earlier than the base reaches 70% of its grade strength, when the primary shrinkage is completed and its mass moisture content is no more than 4% (as a rule, this occurs after 28 days after installation).

• During this time, the base needs some care, which consists in ensuring the temperature and humidity conditions of exposure.

• Traditional concrete care methods are recommended. In the case of the use of various care products (curings, membrane-forming varnish), they must be completely removed as part of the preparation of the base.

• The moisture content of the base must be determined using a dielcometric moisture meter or using the CM method (carbide).

• In the design of the base of the concrete floor, on the ground, a waterproofing layer must be provided and of high quality.

• It is also necessary in the construction of the base along the floor slab, when damp processes or temperature changes take place in the lower rooms.

• Capillary rise of moisture in the bases is unacceptable - this can lead to delamination of the polymer coating.

• All contaminants, such as cement laitance, oil stains, traces of rubber, various putties and paints, must be completely removed, as they affect the adhesion of the material to concrete.

• The compressive strength of the base must be at least 20 MPa, and the cohesive strength (peel off) must be at least 1.5 MPa.

• These parameters are most conveniently determined using a sclerometer (or Schmidt hammer) and an adhesive meter (for example, PSO-5MG4).

• The evenness of the base is determined by the requirements and operating conditions. Also, the allowable values ​​depend on the selected polymer coating system.

• As a rule, the horizontal deviation, in terms of evenness, should not exceed 4 mm per 2 m for standard conditions and 2 mm per 2 m for coatings with increased requirements for evenness (according to SP 29.13330.2011 "FLOORS").

• Measurements are made using a 2 m rail or rule.

• The base before applying coatings should not have cracks, voids, delaminations and weakened fragile areas.

• All such defects must be repaired first.

The choice of materials and repair technologies depends on the types of defects in the foundation structure and the planned operational loads.

 

Concrete floor measurement

Foundation preparation

• Mechanical preparation of the base is used not only to remove contaminants and open pores, but also to increase the adhesion of the polymer coating.

• The more textured the surface obtained as a result of processing, the higher the adhesion of the coating, and therefore the higher its resistance to dynamic loads, as well as the longer the service life.

• The most optimal method of base preparation is selected depending on its state of construction, existing defects, expected operational impacts and the selected polymer coating system.

• The best preparation method for floors subject to significant dynamic loads, chemical agents or temperature fluctuations is milling or shot blasting.

• In some cases, this type of base preparation will require additional puttying before applying the main layers of the coating.

• The most common type of base preparation is grinding.

• When using this method of preparation, it is recommended to use diamond, abrasive elements with a larger grain size.

• The result of processing should be a well-textured surface, it is desirable that after processing, the mineral aggregate (crushed stone, coarse sand) opens (becomes visible).

• After treatment, the substrate must be thoroughly dedusted using an industrial vacuum cleaner.

•  It is not allowed to use water in the process of processing and cleaning the base.

 

Mechanical preparation of the concrete base

Application conditions

• The temperature of the base during the application of the material should be from +8°С to +30°С.

• It must be remembered that sometimes the temperature of the base can be lower than the air temperature by 3-4°C.

• It is highly undesirable, within the same working area, to have areas with a large difference in base temperature.

• This can be caused by various factors, such as sunlight, various equipment in the room, temperature processes in adjacent rooms, etc.

• The base temperature is most easily measured with a pyrometer (non-contact infrared thermometer).

• The substrate temperature must be 3ºC above the dew point. The dew point is the air temperature at which condensation forms in a room. It depends on the humidity in the room and is determined according to the calculation table.

• The air temperature at the construction site should be from +8°С to +30°С.

• It is highly undesirable, the presence of drafts - this can lead to surface defects: bubbles, ripples, shagreen, sticky areas.

• Humidity at the facility should be no more than 85% at a temperature above +23°C and no more than 75% at a temperature of +10°C.

• Humidity and air temperature are most conveniently measured using a thermohygrometer.

• The temperature of the material components should be around +20°C.

• At a high temperature on the object, it is desirable to have a material temperature of about +15°C, and at a low temperature on the object, on the contrary, it is desirable to have a material temperature of about +25°C.

• The temperature of the material and base, humidity and air temperature directly affect such properties of materials as viscosity (fluidity), pot life, polymerization time, surface appearance and the presence / absence of various defects.

 

Preparation of the concrete base

Material preparation

• Usually, a primer for polymer floors consists of two components: "A" - epoxy resin and "B" - hardener, which are in a carefully selected ratio.

• If necessary, partial use of the kit, the mass ratio of the components should be strictly observed (before weighing, you need to mix the components independently of each other).

• If this rule is not observed, an oily film may appear on the surface, residual stickiness or loss of the physical and mechanical properties of the layer.

Material preparation sequence:

• open the containers with the components and thoroughly mix the component "A" (resin) in the original packaging, using a low-speed mixer with a spiral attachment of the "Helical" type (300 - 400 rpm);

• completely pour component "B" (hardener) into the container of component "A" (resin) and mix thoroughly for 2 - 3 minutes, until a homogeneous material consistency is obtained. In this case, the areas adjacent to the bottom and to the edges of the mixing tank should be captured;

• Pour the material into a second, clean container and mix again for 1-2 minutes.

• If necessary, quartz sands and other fillers are added to the pre-mixed binder, with constant stirring. Stir until a homogeneous mixture is obtained.

• When mixing the components, the mixer nozzle should not rise much above the level of the material, so as not to involve excess air in the composition.

• The chemical reaction between components "A" and "B" is exothermic, that is, it occurs with the release of heat, which reduces the lifetime of the composition, therefore the volume of the mixed material must be linked to the number of stackers, the speed and method of application, the temperature at the object.

• Each minute of the presence of a mixed set of material ("A" + "B"), in a large volume (in a bucket), reduces the lifetime and, consequently, the processing time of the material. Try to knead such an amount of the composition that the production time for one batch is about 15 - 20 minutes.

 

Three-component primer kneading

Material application

• A two-component primer is applied to the substrate using the “painting” method, using a roller with synthetic bristles.

• In some cases (for example, a highly porous base), it is advisable to apply the composition using a rubber squeegee, followed by rolling with a roller.

• In the process of applying the primer composition, avoid the formation of puddles and streaks.

• The primer layer must be applied evenly.

• The application of the material should begin from the wall opposite the exit.

• In rooms with complex geometry, we recommend that you think over the schedule and work plan for pouring in advance.

• If the first primer layer is completely or partially absorbed into the base, it is necessary to apply the material again.

• The total consumption of material for the primer of the base depends on the porosity and texture of the surface.

• After application, the material must be protected for 24 hours (at 20°C) from direct exposure to water.

• During this period of time, exposure to water may cause white discoloration and/or surface tackiness on the surface, which greatly affects adhesion, followed by coating and must be removed.

• Before applying the base coats, a properly primed substrate surface must have the appearance of damp concrete, without dry or dull spots, with a clearly visible polymer membraine.

• The primed surface should not stick, it should not have puddles or thick layers of material, as well as visually visible pores.

 

• All these contaminants must be completely removed.

• The last layer of primer, if provided for by the coating design, must be sprinkled with calcined quartz sand (the consumption and fraction of sand is determined by the coating design).

• The interlayer interval, at a temperature of +23°C, should be no more than 36 hours.

• The next layers must be applied no earlier than the previous layer reaches the “tack free” state, i.e. does not stick to fingers when touched.

• The minimum and maximum interlayer interval may be more or less than the specified one and directly depends on the temperature and humidity on the object.

 

Primer application

Cleaning tools

After completion of work, the tools are cleaned with an organic solvent. Cured material can only be removed mechanically.

Security measures

• When working with the material, it is necessary to ensure ventilation of the room. 

• When working, it is necessary to use special clothes and shoes, goggles and gloves. 

• Do not allow material to come into contact with exposed skin. 

• In case of contact with eyes or mouth, rinse with plenty of water and seek medical advice immediately.

Polymer coating

Consider a standard type of thin-layer coating for a polymer floor device, which is applied in two layers.

In any case, it is required to become familiar with your system, because each material is individual in its characteristics.

 

Application of a thin-layer polymer coating

Application conditions

• The temperature of the base during the application of the material should be from +10°C to +30°C (it must be remembered that sometimes the temperature of the base can be lower than the air temperature by 3-4°C).

• It is highly undesirable within the same working area to have areas with a large difference in base temperature (some factors can lead to this phenomenon, for example, sunlight, various equipment in the room, temperature processes in adjacent rooms, etc.).

• The base temperature is most easily measured with a pyrometer (non-contact infrared thermometer). The substrate temperature must be 3ºC above the dew point.

• The "dew point" is the air temperature at which condensation forms in a room. It depends on the humidity in the room and is determined according to the calculation table.

• The air temperature at the construction site should be between +10°С and +30°С.

• The presence of drafts is highly undesirable - this can lead to surface defects: bubbles, ripples, shagreen, sticky areas.

• Humidity at the facility should be no more than 75%.

• Air humidity, air temperature and dew point are most conveniently measured with a thermohygrometer.

• The temperature of the material components should be around +20°C.

• At a high temperature on the object, it is desirable to have a material temperature of about +15°C, and at a low temperature on the object, on the contrary, it is desirable to have a material temperature of about +25°C.

• The chemical reaction between components "A" and "B" is exothermic, i.e. occurs with the release of heat, which reduces the lifetime of the composition, so the volume of the mixed material must be linked to the number of stackers, the speed and method of application, and the temperature at the object.

• It must be remembered that the temperature of the material and base, humidity and air temperature directly affect such properties of materials as viscosity (fluidity), pot life, polymerization time, surface appearance and the presence / absence of various defects.

 

Concrete polymer floors 

Material preparation and application

• The material has two components ("A" and "B"), which are in a carefully selected ratio.

• If it is necessary to partially use the packaging, the ratio of components should be strictly observed.

• If this rule is not observed, an oily film may appear on the surface, residual stickiness or loss of the physical and mechanical properties of the layer.

• To prepare the composition, it is necessary to open the container with component "A", mix it thoroughly in its original packaging using a low-speed mixer with a screw nozzle (300 - 400 rpm), open the container with component "B", completely pour it into the container with component "A" and mix for 2 - 3 minutes, then pour into a clean container and mix again for 1 - 2 minutes until a homogeneous mixture is formed.

• Pay special attention to thorough mixing of the material in the area of ​​the bottom and walls of the bucket, in order to avoid coating defects (poorly mixed components do not fully enter into a chemical reaction).

• When mixing the components, the mixer nozzle should not rise much above the level of the material, so as not to involve excess air in the composition (this can complicate rolling with a spiked roller).

• The chemical reaction between components "A" and "B" is exothermic (it occurs with the release of heat, which reduces the life of the composition), so the volume of the mixed material must be linked to the number of stackers, the speed and method of application, and the temperature at the object.