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Entrance to Fitness Centre

FGS®/PermaShine® was installed in all hallways, pedestrian ramps and commons gathering areas in the Center. To keep this new FGS floor looking good every day, O’Byrne uses a medium-sized, walk-behind wet floor scrubber using a mild solution of FGS Conditioner. He continued, “I believe the FGS process is a good system. It has performed very well for us over the past 18 months. Even when the floor becomes wet from some of the activities, it retains its non-slip qualities.”

Pedestrian Ramp

Commons Area

Project:
Cardel Recreation Center

Nature of business:
Recreational Sports and Work-Out Facility

Floor responsibility:
Dennis O’Byrne, Operations Manager

Location:
Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Approx. sq. ft.:
40,000 out of 190,000 total bldg.

FGS Installer:
ABS Concrete Systems, Ltd.
Airdrie, Alberta, Canada

When a senior employee from ABS Concrete Systems Ltd, arrived at the job site the old tile flooring had been removed. This left behind large amounts of dried adhesive, layers of concrete sealant, and also revealed undulations in the concrete itself. To repair the undulations and remove the adhesive using conventional means could have been very costly. A cost that the flooring subcontractor was not looking forward to! Instead over a three week period, working nights to minimize disruption, An ABS crew worked on the floor using the HTC 800 grinder.

The crew liked working with the grinder, they describe it as “user friendly with a high production capability”. “It takes all of the guess work out of leveling or straightening a floor,” stated the Foreman.

The floor required leveling and abrading to prepare it for the new flooring material; a bold, hard-wearing tile. Using the HTC 800 grinder the goals were accomplished and the floor was ready for installation of the decorative tiles without any further preparation.

If conventional methods had been used on the job, it would have been floated, which would have been both labor intensive and time consuming. The machine was used for approximately three weeks of nightshifts to level the floor and provide a surface prepared for maximum bond with the new surface material. Floating the floor may have taken at least twice as long or longer.

The Project Manager with EllisDon for the New Arrivals Concourse Rejuvenation Project, Craig Dummer, was both pleased and impressed with the process. A total area of 32,000 square feet was completed and “it was all on a dustless, HEPA vacuum system. It was a clean and quiet operation which was extremely important as we were working in a public area.” He was also very satisfied with the finish that the grinding produced saying that “it is not at all like the conventional methods of removal like shot blasting, sand blasting or hand chipping which can compromise the integrity of the floor.”

The use of the HTC 800 helped reduce costs on the project without compromising the timelines in any way. In fact, the work was completed in less time than any conventional methods would have taken.

The use of the HTC 800 grinder left the flooring subcontractor with a concrete surface ready for the installation of the tile flooring and the Calgary International Airport one step closer to welcoming visitors to the city.

BEFORE: An uneven surface covered in adhesive from the removal of a previous floor tile.

AFTER: The same floor after work

I’m “very impressed
with the product.”Bill Patterson, Supervisor of Streets and Roads

The Town of Canmore contracted ABS Concrete Systems to apply the Fusion- Crete® overlay method of repair to resurface core downtown sidewalks, curbs and gutters. The town first used this system in a test project in 1993 and was pleased with the results. Canmore, like many Alberta municipalities, is contending with sidewalks over twenty years old that have experienced considerable movement and deterioration due to settlement, frost heaving and salt application.

Bill Patterson, Supervisor of Streets and Roads for the Town of Canmore, is “very impressed with the product” and is quick to point out that the savings provided by using Fusion-Crete® are substantial compared to the cost of replacing curbs, gutters and sidewalks.

The ‘before’ picture shows the condition of the original sidewalk and the reality of potential tripping hazard lawsuits. Repairs to this section were completed within 24 hours during low traffic periods to minimize interruptions to businesses.

BEFORE: A Sidewalk in the Town

AFTER: The same sidewalk crack stitching and Fusion-Crete® systems

BEFORE: A City of Calgary sidewalk with longitudinal cracks

After fully analyzing the results of eight years of Fusion-Crete® use, Mike Wierzbicki, the public works district manager for the City of Calgary Northeast, believes the overlay system (see next article for a description) is a viable longterm solution, especially when a crack-stitch repair is part of the process. Thanks to the solid results obtained, six out of seven public works districts will train one to two crews in Fusion-Crete® application.

AFTER: Sidewalk renewed with crack stitching and Fusion-Crete® systems.

Wierzbicki’s jurisdiction is a public works manager’s nightmare come true. Large pockets of the district are built over wetlands. This is a growing concern because the district encompasses a total area the size of the cities of Red Deer and Lethbridge combined.

Unstable soil conditions coupled with rapid construction of concrete infrastructure create ripe conditions for concrete damage.

Mike Wierzbicki knew he needed a long-term solution to deal with the challenges presented by the movement of concrete slabs. These challenges include frost heaving and settlement along with freeze-thaw damage.

Complicating matters the public works managers are also dealing with aging infrastructure and the public’s expectation of top quality construction.

“Promising Results”…says Wierzbicki, Public Works District Manager for the City of Calgary Northeast

The Public Works District Manager was introduced to the Fusion-Crete® overlay system at a live demonstration at a public works trade show in 1993. This product seemed to promise answers. Wierzbicki, impressed with the demonstration, showing movement of a flexible concrete product applied to a piece of hardboard, knew he had to explore it further. He contacted Michael McLeod, P.Eng. owner of ABS Concrete Systems Ltd. (formerly Re-New Surface Systems, Alberta) the Canadian distributor and expert applicator of the Fusion-Crete® product and overlay system.

The Fusion-Crete® overlay system promised to take care of concrete failures due to movement while providing better cost, time, and resource efficiencies. With the support of his superiors, Wierzbicki began testing the overlay system at some problem sites in 1993.

“Promising results” were reported from the start. Would it stand the test of time? Eight years later, those repairs still hold without any additional movement. The life of the concrete slab has been extended saving the city time, labour and material costs typically associated with removal and replacement.

Wierzbicki knew full acceptance at the city, for this system, would take time due to its lack of proven history in the Canadian environment and the failures some managers had experienced with other products. This year increased numbers of concrete failures throughout all districts, has led to an understanding that the Fusion-Crete® overlay system will help public works managers stay on top of concrete slab problems with appropriate training and application.

Asked what advice he would give to other towns and cities, Wierzbicki states, “it is a simple process that requires some finesse-the applicator has to feel it and want it to work. Attention to detail is imperative. Escalating costs of removal and replacement make it impossible to keep up with repairs. Fusion- Crete® is a win-win solution; public concern and standards are met while achieving very cost effective results.”

BEFORE: City of Calgary sidewalk with random cracks

AFTER: The same section of sidewalk renewed using crack stitching and Fusion-Crete® systems.