CoGri Asia’s Floor Construction Exceeds Industry Standards

November 5, 2020

Cogri Asia Pacific are currently constructing an FM2 Steel Fibre Reinforced Concrete (SFRC) slab in Sri Lanka for the main contractor, Access Engineering, and the client, Camso Loadstar.

For most free movement installations, the Concrete Society’s TR34 Classification FM2 is recommended as this represents a good quality floor that can be achieved without excessive cost. Steel fibre reinforcement helps to improve the structural strength and durability of the floor, essential for the client as a manufacturer and distributor of tyres, tracks, conversion track systems, and OEM undercarriages.

Communication Technology Aiding Concrete Floor Mix Designs

Flat floors in Sri Lanka and surrounding countries are usually the exception rather than the rule, as the concrete mix can pose some of the biggest problems due to lower cement strengths, grading of aggregates and contamination of aggregates with organic matter in particular.

In the build up to this project we developed the local mix design in the batching plant laboratory via Zoom and WhatsApp due to the COVID lockdown restricting on-site visits. Both our Project Manager, Wallace Wong, and Pete Male, CoGri’s Specialist Concrete Consultant, spent many an afternoon watching the trial panels set until we achieved a reasonable 3.5/1/3.5 setting ratio mix.

Even in the most difficult settings, CoGri Asia proved they were able to overcome obstacles to provide the best service for our clients. With a little help from communications technology!

Successful Concrete Panel Pour

Following a 4-week quarantine period for our CoGri team mates Glynn Dixon and Bob Brailsford arriving from the UK, the full-scale batching trials yet again proved to be inconsistent.

The 2-hour drive from batching plant to site in 33^o C heat together with the inconsistent batching weights of materials and additives appeared to be causing the problems.

After a few discussions and tweaks at the plant we achieved our first successful panel pour, as seen in image 1.

Full FM1 Tolerance

This first panel achieved a borderline FM1/FM2 tolerance. The FM1 floor class is used where very high standards of flatness and levelness are required.

The second panel (image 2) achieved full FM1 tolerance, attaining concrete floor standards above and beyond FM2 class specified.

Flatter Floors for Increased Efficiency

Warehouse and industrial floors meeting free movement standards will ultimately result in a more efficient operation. Surface regularity and flatness are essential for materials handling equipment to operate safely and productively, with lower maintenance costs and therefore, less downtime and a prolonged lifespan.

CoGri Asia’s dedication to providing the best floor is demonstrated all the way through the process, from joint layout and design, concrete mix and construction methods, right through to panel pour and post construction advice.