“Oh, if my floor would only wear like concrete!”
This is a fallacy. As concrete cures, a film appears on the top as the aggregate settles toward the bottom. This topcoat is called the “cream coat” Concrete is porous, vapors and thin liquids travel through the pores, often allowing agents to stain. The cream coat doesn’t wear very well or long.
Some of the solutions to making concrete wear better are to seal the concrete, coat the concrete, or polish the concrete. Interior Specifications, the “floor expert”, knows about these processes and guides the specifier to the proper treatment for the project.
Interior Specifications, the Forensic Examiner, is aware if the installation protocols for the treatments and investigates coating failures.
Why is the Epoxy topping de-bonding from the concrete in this factory?
In this case Interior Specifications reviewed the installation protocols published by the manufacturer of the epoxy coating, and looked at the equipment that was actually used. The site was tested for anomalies. The issue was resolved before trial.
Is this floor safe?
Polished concrete is not a manufactured material. This is a feature created at the site. Also, there are topographically treatments that can be applied to the surface that affect the slip resistance of this floor. There are maintenance procedures that affect the slip resistance of this floor
To answer the question of safety requires a comparison of the construction documents, the literature pertaining to the safety of polished concrete, the national standards of safety created by OSHA and ANSI. The site can be tested using the ASTM F1028 protocol, but can the site really emulate the moment that the safety of this surface was called into question. That usually takes place after a Slip & Fall accident.
Interior Specifications investigates the role of polished concrete in Slip & Fall accidents.