Finishing a new concrete floor and bringing it into use is never the end of the story. Some concrete floor joints can leave the warehouse owner facing ongoing, disruptive maintenance issues months and years later. But a permanent, professional solution is now possible, as Iain Smith, Strategic Programme Leader at Permaban, explains.
![4--Permaban-Signature-AR-at-Aldermans---finished-and-washed-repair[5]](https://warehousenews.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/4-Permaban-Signature-AR-at-Aldermans-finished-and-washed-repair5.jpg)
The hazards of damaged floor joints Damaged concrete floor joints in a warehouse can cause premature wear to vehicles, due to the uneven surface. They can also present a health and safety concern, as forklift drivers can suffer back problems from repeated jolting.
When a straight armoured joint is used in a directional traffic situation – where vehicles are expected to cross the joint at 90? – the impact on the joint is the most severe, and damage to the floor and vehicle is likely.
Repairing damaged floor joints has usually been the province of the maintenance department, often simply patching up the concrete around the joint as quickly as possible, rather than dealing with the root of the problem. The strong likelihood is that the joint will need a future repair.
A permanent joint repair and upgrade system Permaban Signature AR (‘arris repair’) – a new joint repair system launched by Permaban, part of RCR Flooring Products – is showing it is possible not only to repair straight joints, but to upgrade them, thereby removing further maintenance.
The Signature AR system is designed to replace damaged saw-cut joints, or sections of the floor where a straight armoured joint and the surrounding concrete have become damaged.
Signature AR, based on Permaban’s Signature armoured joint, used in new warehouse and industrial floors worldwide. With its half-hexagonal design, materials handling vehicles can pass smoothly across a Signature joint in the floor, causing no impact and no damage – even when vehicles cross the joint at 90?. This saves significant repair costs to both floor and vehicles, for the lifetime of the building.
Signature AR is a complete repair system, incorporating all the products needed for a professional joint repair. This includes a reduced-height length of Signature, along with complementary products from fellow RCR companies Rinol and Rocland, including a concrete bonding agent, resin repair mortar and resin screed finish.
Joint repair case study: Alderman Tooling Ltd, Plymouth, Devon Aldermans is one of the South West’s most highly respected metalwork engineers. In business for over 45 years, the company now boasts one of the most comprehensive metalwork design and fabrication facilities in the South West.
Aldermans has operated from its current purpose-built factory in Plymouth since 1993, and the building has seen layout changes and an extension as the company has grown. The busy loading bay is a hard-working part of the factory, as all deliveries of finished goods and raw materials pass through it daily.
Damaged internal doorway joint The loading bay and stores are located in an extension area at the rear of the building, accessed from the factory through just one doorway. As a result, the straight joint in the concrete floor was subject to the harsh impact forces as the forklift crossed the joint.
Although the forklift was fitted with pneumatic tyres, the constant use was still enough to cause damage to the joint. Although previous repairs had been undertaken, these were unsatisfactory and further damage occurred.
15-hour repair – seamless finish The joint repair at Aldermans was undertaken on 16th December 2015 by a team from Permaban, and took just 15 hours to complete, so the area was out of use for less than a day.
The damaged portion of the floor was cut away, creating a channel into which the Signature AR joint was placed. No attachment was needed to the surrounding floor.
The repair area was 4.8m long, which constituted four complete 1m lengths of the Signature AR joint, and an additional length cut to size, all designed to be clipped together easily. The channel was filled with a bonding agent and repair mortar (manufactured by fellow RCR group companies, Rinol and Rocland).
Finally, the repair area was ground so that the finish was completely seamless.
Increased usability
The loading area and store is now back in use, and Aldermans is delighted with the results. The joint ‘upgrade’ has also helped improve the storage efficiency of the area, relocating a material store which has allowed the doorway to be more fully used and to handle increased traffic.
“Aldermans has a busy factory, and the nature of our business means our floor is subject to hard use and considerable wear and tear,” commented Karen Friendship, Aldermans’ Managing Director.
“The floor joint repair has been a very efficient process, with minimal disruption. Knowing the joint has been repaired once and for all means we have no further concerns about potential floor maintenance costs and disruption. Our forklift drivers are also noticing the difference. We are sure we will see operational benefits from repairing other joints in a similar way.”
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