But why the need for a particular type of floor in the industrial sector? Isn't a normal road surface adequate for floors? Isn't it cheaper? These questions are also relevant to the value analysis and the fact that we are holding our own colloquium for the industrial sector is in itself an answer.

The conferences about concrete roads and the use of bitumen in road construction which have been held for many years now, do no more than touch on this issue. The loads which occur in industry are often of a special type and may be far greater than is the case with normal "day-to-day road traffic". As a specialist with almost 25 years' experience in the field of chemical building materials and the adhesion of polymers to concrete, I can immediately think of a whole range of functions fulfilled by industrial floors

It is understandable that not all of these functions can be fulfilled by a reasonably priced road surface. Nor is the much sought after all-purpose floor possible since certain of these functions are contradictory. For example, a non porous, smooth clean room floor meets all the requirements of hygienists but as soon as even a little water, oil or other liquid is spilled on it, there is a great risk of serious or even fatal injury because the floor's non-skid properties are lost. Therefore compromises have to be made and it is pleasing to note that the trade and factory inspectorates and the employers' liability insurance associations are beginning to recognize this problem. Any activity involves a certain risk, as every car driver and smoker well knows.

To meet all requirements floors must often be of multiplelayer construction with various components

Multiple-layer construction

1. Formation
2. Sub-base course
3. Moisture barrier
4. Load-bearing concrete
   • Expansion joints
   • Edge joints
   • Construction joints
5. Overlay
6. Reaction polymer

How nice it would be if, as in the past, all our requirements could be met by a simple clay floor of which I found the following definition: