How polymers improve concrete floors

3 Costs of an industrial concrete floor

4 The meaning of "strength" and "resistance"

5 Some shortcomings of concrete

6 Miracles made of concrete, but not for industrial floors

7 Special cements for industrial floors with no shrinkage

8 Problems caused by cementitious overlays

9 What reaction polymers can achieve, at a cost

10 Improvements with polymer dispersions

11 A very simple method of benchmarking of overlays

12 Protection against impact and chemical attack as a function of strength and layer thickness

13 The future: chemistry and robotronics

14 References

How polymers improve concrete floors
Possibilities today and prospects for the future - a pragmatic approach to the limitations of concretes

by Dipl.-Chem. Dr. Peter Seidler

5^th International Colloquium Jan 21-23, 2003

3 Costs of an industrial concrete floor

Evidently the low price of concrete and much higher strength compared to clay, which was used in past days, have been the decisive factor for its use.

Work	Details	Price	%
Polyethylene sheet, twice	material und labour	0,80 €/m²	3%
Concrete B 35, 180 mm	material	13,30 €/m²	50%
Concrete B 35, placing and levelling	labour	4,10 €/m²	15%
Super plasticizer 3 kg/m²	material	0,60 €/m²	2%
Helicopter trowelling	labour	1,80 €/m²	7%
Forming of running joints	labour	1,00 €/m²	4%
Dowelling of running joints	labour	3,60 €/m²	13%
Sawing of joints	labour	0,60 €/m²	2%
Curing with a polythylene sheet	labour	1,00 €/m²	4%
Concrete slab on ground	material und labour	26,80 €/m²	100%

Table 1: Market prices for a concrete slab as an industrial floor

In comparison with these costs, improvement with polymers immediately makes the concrete very much more expensive, even if only a few percent of polymer in relation to the amount of cement are added:

1. Aggregate	9	€/1,000 kg
2. Portland cement (silo)	90
3. Steel reinforcement	900
4. Polymer dispersion	2,700
5. Reaction polymer	9,000

Table 2: Cost of materials for industrial floors (Germany)

Last Update: Jan 29, 2003