11 May 2010

Improving Safety and Productivity with Abrasion-Resistant Concrete

  • Location Calgary, AB, Canada
  • Owner TC Transcontinental
  • Project Manager Devitt & Forand Contractors Inc.
  • Project Superintendent Joe Nuttal
  • Ready-Mix Supplier Inland Concrete Ltd.
  • Concrete Placer Dynamic Concrete Pumping Inc.
  • Distributor Cementec Industries Inc.

Background

As a leader in flexible packaging in North America and as Canada’s largest printer, TC Transcontinental has proven to be in great demand. This was no less true in 2007, which prompted the company to modernize and optimize their printing network from coast to coast in North America. Part of this evolution involved expanding their Calgary production and warehouse facility. With this expansion, TC Transcontinental expected heavy forklift traffic as they managed the production, warehousing, and distribution of large paper rolls in their bigger Calgary location.

Such traffic could take its toll on the facility’s concrete floor, resulting in an uneven surface that could affect the expanded facility’s productivity and safety. With that in mind, TC Transcontinental was on the lookout for a solution that could significantly increase the abrasion resistance of their facility’s flooring.

Solution

The Calgary facility’s construction team soon found a solution thanks to their ready-mix supplier, Inland Concrete Ltd., who recommended adding the integral admixture Hard-Cem to their concrete mix. This admixture increased the concrete’s resistance to abrasive and erosive forces and eliminated the need to add dry shake products, which are both time- and labor-intensive. As a result, the whole desired 43,000-square foot floor slab was poured and placed in less than one day with excellent results.

During its placement, the construction team found the Hard-Cem-treated concrete easy to work with. They were impressed by the ease of finishing the concrete and pleased to see that the concrete was not only durable but also looked professionally prepared. All of which were signs that the flooring would allow TC Transcontinental’s Calgary facility to stay productive for many years to come.

Products and Systems Used:

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