Commutation vs. expectations in concrete construction and dressing ...

Commutation vs. expectations
in concrete construction and dressing
up concrete

Think pink

Hope Lodge Kansas City

Pink Concrete Day in America
• Anchor the cure in concrete
• 50 states/ fifty pink pours

Sustainability , Sensibility & Decorative
Concrete Floors
• Mike Murray
• Decorative Concrete Supply
• ACI, ASCC & ICRI member
• Serving on 9 ACI committees and holding 5
ACI certifications including ACI
• Flatwork & Field Grade I
• Pervious Concrete certification
• ICRI Moisture testing certification

It makes sense to use the best products available
With out a doubt its concrete

Today's learning objectives
• Why should we talk
• Do we look forward to bid process or dread it
• Should we deviate from plans and specs
• If we do where will the project head
• Gray or colored commutation is the key
• Expectations yours or the owner
• Address before the job and not after

Talk before hand
‣Keep the lawyers out of our work
‣Solve problems and issues
‣Its best before they arise
‣But be ready to have someone look over your
shoulder but have a plan when they do

Was there any talking going on before this job

Big or small all projects should have
meetings

What do you see here?
? Does the concrete still do its job

ASTM F 1839
Moisture test on floor often overlooked or forgotten until its too late.

ASTM F 2170
Tests the humidity in the slab

PH of concrete
When moisture tests are done PH levels should also be checked
ICRI ( international concrete repair institute ) offers a certification
program for these tests.

Decorative Concrete
1. Its uniqueness is it can mimic other materials
2. While creating finishes that are totally
original
3. Reduces materials to finish the job
4. That it takes a structural material turns it into
architectural feature

What makes concrete a sustainable
building material
1. The main material “limestone” is abundant
2. Concrete provides durable long lasting structure
3. Provide a thermal mass so concrete is energy
efficient
4. Provides a reflectivity that reduces the “heat
island” effect
5. Offers minimal waste after it has served its
original design it can be recycled as backfill or
road base
6. Can be serviced locally by local help

Can exceed LEED requirements

Interior and exterior
concrete provides the best choice

Decorative floors & benefits
1. Ability to customize
2. Long term cost savings
3. Health benefits
4. Durability and Aesthetics
5. Ability to easily customize
6. More abrasion resistance

They provide a safe environment for
Your children’s air is safer to
breath
schools
Better lighting

Grand kids are the only thing better than concrete
She is 10 years old and can shoot par

She did clear the water
When we won our flight at the PINK RIBBON CLASSIC she gave the prize
money back

Almost anything can be accomplished
when we talk and are on the same
• School logos
page on concrete

Using Concrete
• We have to think smart
• We have to put the advantages first
• # 1 owners and GCs should know a contractors
plan
• # 2 lets use it to our advantage
• # 3 let ownership know the advantage ahead of
time
• # 4 use skilled contractors “ ask them about their
skills”

Sustainable vs. Green
• There is a difference
• Sustainable in nutshell means life/cycle costs
• Green using less energy with a lot of un-wanted
products
• The good news is many of these products such as
• Fly ash
• Slag
• Silica Fume
• Can act as a cement replacement

Sustainability
• 30 plus years out of your floor or paving
• Both fly-ash and slag can contribute but they
may “will slow the early construction phase”
• Look long term when these are used
• Especially on polished, stained and sealed,
epoxy & cementitious overlays ( most
specified polished floors should not contain
fly-ash)

Concrete floor
Someone did not plan ahead

I have pop quiz question
• What will not work with sustainability and
concrete???/
• Its like oil and water

The answer
• The cheapest price or the cheapest materials
• Both the word and pretext have no meaning
with the word sustainable and concrete floors
or hardscapes

Sustainable floors
• Means delivering on our promise
• Lower maintenance
• Less labor
• Lower lighting costs
• Less hazardous materials in landfills
• Lower VOCs used in installation
• Less materials that when they are out of service
life are not added to landfills or dumped in
roadside ditches

We can add unique designs to concrete floors
Custom options for floors

Concrete floors
• Means doing it right the 1 st time
• Placing, curing & finishing
• Weather plays a key role in our success so if
weather is issue pick up the phone

miscommunication
This can be hard to explain its not evaporation retarder

Today's floors are different

Stains and designs make concrete look
better

Concrete floors
Pros
They have already been placed
and finished
Hard and abrasion resistance
LEED friendly
Used by local suppliers and
contractors
Can be used both interior and
exterior
Cons
• They do require a cure time
• They cant be opened for
service until cured
• They are sensitive to
weather during early stages
of both placement and
hydration

Concrete floors
Decorative overlay
Vinyl floors
• Which looks better

Sustainable concrete floors
• These can also be designed with less joints
• Use of either steel fibers or macropolymeric
• less joints mean
• less dust
• less clean up
• less labor

Concrete provides a hard durable
abrasion system

Contractors and installation
• Contractors need to explain
1. Hydration
2. Cure times
3. Understand fly-ash & slag mixes
4. Moisture does not leave over night
5. Make sure everyone knows the time frame
6. Make sure that others are prepared for
possible problems

Some days there will be problems and delays

Rule thumb when ice fishing don’t park too close

General contractors don’t see things
the same way we do

Concrete is the smart choice
Concrete table
• Its not just gray anymore it
can become the focal point
of projects
Polished 30 year old floor
University of Arkansas

Concrete floors
• Lower SRI
• Lower light costs
• We cant make the mistake that they are
maintenance free
• Don’t dodge the question but put a plan in
place
• It’s a no/brainer on which
system is easier to clean

What a polished floor can do to a
building
Before
After

What steps to look for and how to do
1. Carefully plan out the mix-design before
placement
it
2. Provide mock-ups (TWO)
3. Final polish should be 800-3000
4. Joint spacing and curing methods finishing
and protection ( review division 3) if not
there go to division 9
5. Edges and walls will take “much” more time

1. Mix-designs & curing
• Do not spec air entrained concrete, avoid high
W/C ratios
• Avoid calcium chloride
• For polished floors consider slag instead of flyash
( if fly-ash has to be used 15-20% maximum)
Test
Test
• Be sure floor is specified a minimum of F/40 for
flatness FL/35
• Specified compressive strength 3500-5000 PSI

This floor presents a problem

Mix designs & curing
6. Use curing compounds that are water-based
and dissipating if possible “ in spite of what
some may say cure!!!”
7. Cure & Seals will effect ability of both
hardener’s/densifier to properly work as they
need to penetrate into the concrete
8. Water curing will work best if you can it will
also reduce curl at the joints
9. 28 day cure time is recommended

Recommended F-Numbers for Various Floor Profile Categories
Floor Profile Category
Conventional
(using bullfloat)
Conventional
(Using highway straightedge)
Random Traffic Floors
Specified Overall Minimum Local Value
Value
Defined
Traffic
Floors
F F F L F F F L F min
19 13 13 10 19
25 17 13 10 25
Good 38 25 19 13 38
Flat 50 33 25 17 50
Very Flat 75 50 38 25 75
Superflat 100 66 50 33 100
Ultraflat 150 100 75 50 150
Approximate Equivalence of F F Numbers and Straightedge Measurements
F-Number
Gap Under 10’-0” Straightedge
12 1/2”
20 5/16”
25 1/4”
32 3/16”
50 1/8”

pH Scale
Common pH Values
The pH Scale is
Logarithmic, not Linear
•Each 1-point change in pH
is 10x more basic or acidic
then the previous.
• ie – The pH of Pine Sol is
4.0, which is 10,000-times
more acid than concrete.

concrete conclusions
• No one floor will be exactly the same “mock-ups”
• Pictures present a different look than concrete “ so do
color charts and images” BEWARE OF IMAGES!
• Plus is they offer the best in sustainable systems with
concrete
• Contractor experience can provide the best product
• concrete floors improve indoor air quality & reduce
carbon footprint improve energy efficiency

The very best part is we can get more
work in cities
• We need to use concrete in every aspect of
new construction
• Concrete can exceed public works needs
• It will last longer and most likely be cheaper
• We need to educate to look at life/cycle costs
• Why can we kick Asphalt's butt we get harder
and stay longer

Concrete vs. pavers
5 years in Lenexa Kansas 5 years in Lenexa Kansas

Concrete is designed to withstand
conditions it will be exposed to

Air entrainment and low
water/cement ratios decorative
hardscapes

Fiber optics

Concrete can out perform other
materials
• We need to use experienced trained
contractors
• Take a closer look at mix-designs
• Be extremely careful in subgrade preparation
• They should be compacted to a uniform
bearing capacity
• Buried lines need minimum of 2” cover

Plate compaction

streetscapes

Gives cities a easy way to provide new look
Works well with landscaping designs

Questions
miss spelled words????