At Face Consultants Ltd we always push the boundaries of 3D scanning for measuring floors for all specifications, from traditional Free Movement specifications to complex specifications for robotics systems. We strive to be the first to deliver laser-scanning surveys that tick all the boxes.

As part of these efforts, we are constantly testing different scanners and processes to find both the positives and negatives. Within this paper is a study carried out comparing one 3D scan to another whilst maintaining the same parameters between each scan on a large test area. The results are quite surprising!

Setting the Parameters for a 3D Laser Scan Comparison

1. For the test we used an area of floor approximately 2500m², cleaned with a scrubber dryer before each scan to ensure that no debris would affect the results.
2. The scans were carried out over 2 days using the same devices, setup, and surveyor, (methodology for the scans are described below).
3. Scan A (left on the below diagram) was the initial scan on day 1 and Scan B (right on the below diagram) was carried out the following day.

On these scans, the red indicates a height of 40mm and the blue a low of 9mm.

Small 3D Scanning Differences Have a Large Impact

Although Scan A and Scan B look to be similar in appearance initially, when you look in detail, the differences between the two start to become apparent.

The diagram in the middle shows the difference between the two scans, with the red sections indicating differences up to +1.7mm, and the blue up to -3.5mm!

Although these differences may seem small, the article HERE describes how even a 0.5mm error can make a huge difference to the results.

Individual 3D Scan Discrepancies

When looking at the comparison plan in the middle, there appear to be distinct circles formed as the colour scale is reduced. These can also be known as “crop circles”. Although they may look a bit alien, they are not from another world but are indicators of the discrepancies in the individual scans. Read more about the anomaly of scanning crop circles HERE.

Is 3D Floor Scanning Suitable?

At this time, from the trials Face Consultants have carried out, due to the inaccuracies and lack of repeatability the use of 3D scanning is still not suitable for measuring floor profiles for compliance with surface regularity standards within the logistics industry.

We are hopeful that this will change as the developments into the hardware and processes continue and we will continue to strive to be the first company to deliver a 3D scanned floor survey to the accuracy required.

Until such a time as we can confidently and accurately provide 3D scans, we supplement all using the latest digital floor flatness testing equipment, designed, and manufactured at our UK headquarters.

Should you have any inquiries or wish to delve deeper into the subject, please don’t hesitate to contact us today.

Survey Methodology

Scanning was carried out on an area of floor approximately 160m x 16m, using a Leica P40 and a 1” Leica TS16 total station for control. Scans had 10m centres vertically, and 8m horizontally, resulting in 32 scans across the survey area.

The total station was set up within the survey area using 4 targets to resection from an already established control network within the building. From these setups targets for the scanning process were measured. This was done using Leica round prisms on magnetic mounts that were then swapped out for 4.5” Black & white scan Targets.

Targets were placed on every other pair of columns along the surveyed area, approximately every 16m. Scan targets were recorded by the P40 in the first 4 scans, scans 14-17, and the last 4 scans. All other scans were carried out without recording targets onsite but with targets visible for use in processing.

All scans were carried out using the 3.1mm @ 10m resolution with normal sensitivity on the P40, where it took around 5 hours to complete the 2500m² area.

The same area of the floor was scanned twice over 2 days by the same survey team using the same kit and method. This was done to limit the number of variables between surveys so that the repeatability of the kit & process could be assessed.

Each day’s scan data was registered and unified using Leica Cyclone. Unified clouds were then cut down to remove everything but the required floor area.

N4ce was then used to extract a level grid from the clouds and create the elevation maps and comparisons seen in the example.

James Dare

James Dare is a Flooring Consultant at Face Consultants Ltd. He has over 15 years experience in the industrial concrete flooring industry involving designing, specifying, testing, constructing and rectifying high tolerance floors for the logistics industry.

Contact James today or follow us on LinkedIn:
James Dare - LinkedIn
Face Consultants - LinkedIn

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CoGri Asia, a leading authority in the construction and warehousing industry, has created 2 free webinar sessions exploring the world of automated warehouses, productivity, and how the floor is the key to successful operations.

We are eager to fulfil our responsibility to the industry, so read on to find out why you should join us on this journey examining the design, construction, and maintenance of high-tolerance floors for outstanding performance.

The Warehouse Revolution

It is forecasted that the Southeast Asia warehouse market will have grown to USD 0.64 Billion in 2023, increasing to USD 1.16 billion by 2028, an estimated compound annual growth rate of 12.51% for the period. Consequently, CoGri Asia is seeing a surge in industrial flooring enquiries for smart warehouses in the region.

Despite the growing demand, CoGri Asia is experiencing a knowledge gap in the construction and warehouse management industry. There is a lack of understanding regarding what defines a floor truly suitable for its intended purpose. Furthermore, there is limited awareness of the consequences a poorly designed or constructed floor has on the performance of automated systems and robotics, irrespective of their ongoing technological advancements.

Defining Automated Warehouse Floor Requirements

Different automated systems have different requirements. Automated Guided Vehicles, for example, have specific floor serviceability mandates, including joint design/load transfer design considerations. Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMR), that don’t follow set tracks, require specific floor surface characteristics, including surface gloss, micro-roughness, and friction. Heavy and dynamic loadings, on the other hand, are a major consideration for the floor design of Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems.

Online Webinars for Global High Tolerance Concrete Flooring Trends, Practices, and Standards

What to Expect:

Join us for our first session on 1 Nov 2023, uncovering upcoming warehouse trends in the region and what the built environment should look out for, including how to build warehouse floors that conform to the highest standards and requirements.

The webinar will look at design and construction considerations, such as:

• Latest trends in global warehouse development.
• Defining the intended performance of the concrete floor, based on the robotic system’s optimum running specifications.
• Why a detailed floor specification is essential when considering the performance requirements and surface characteristics of the slab.

In the second session (30th Nov 2023), we will cover the numerous standards relevant to concrete flooring and identify the differences, enabling you to know which to specify.

This webinar is essential for those who need to be aware of the most recent standards, as well as industry-specific guidelines and manufacturers’ recommendations when designing, constructing, or maintaining concrete floors for automated systems.

Helping Maintain the Standard of Industrial Floors for the Robotics Industry

Both webinars have been developed to help different smart warehouse stakeholders understand what it takes to build sustainable high-performance concrete flooring. Whether it is a new or existing industrial facility, we are here to help you design and build the best concrete floor on your first attempt, therefore, reducing material wastage and the time needed to rectify floor defects.

Stay Connected with CoGri Asia

Sign up for our webinars and equip yourself with the knowledge to excel in the evolving world of warehouses and automation. Together, we’ll pave the way for innovation and excellence in the industry.

To register for the webinars, click HERE

Don’t miss out on invaluable insights and updates.

Follow us on our LinkedIn page (https://www.linkedin.com/company/cogriasia/) to stay in the loop and get the latest updates on these webinars and more.

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As the technologies involved in automated warehousing become more and more advanced, so too must the tools used to measure and assess these floors. James Dare, Flooring Consultant at Face Consultants Ltd, delves into the world of floor surveying and explains why using the correct high precision equipment is a make-or-break factor for surveyors, contractors, integrators, and end users alike.

Introduction

In the up and coming world of automated warehousing, the installations and systems used are becoming more and more sophisticated as new ideas and technologies are developed and deployed. In much the same way, the technologies for surveying floors aim to keep up with this demanding industry.

At Face Consultants and CoGri Group, we are always developing new equipment and software to keep ahead of this fast-paced industry and we continually carry out studies to offer the best service for our clients.

This article will help describe the complexities of measuring floors to tight tolerances and how not opting for the correct equipment can be problematic for surveyors, remedial contractors, flooring contractors, system integrators and end users.

Why is Survey Accuracy Important?

There are three main reasons to ensure your equipment must achieve the required accuracy:

1. Contractually – Many specifications (whether bespoke to a specific company or system or a global standard such as TR34) require the survey equipment to achieve a certain accuracy. If the accuracy is not achieved, it may lead to complications when being signed off or if there is a missed problem when the system is in operation.
2. Reducing remedial time & costs – Using a survey method without the required accuracy can actually create “False Errors”. These are errors found when surveying which are not really there. For example, if the tolerance of a floor is 4mm elevation difference over a given gauge length and the floor shows compliance to 3.5mm, if the survey has an accuracy of +/-1mm you have the potential to show a floor profile of 5.5mm which would show as non-compliant. See Figures 1 and 2 showing this phenomenon.

So, what now?

The floor will either be remediated unnecessarily, or further checks will need to be made over the area using more accurate equipment to confirm if there is an error or not. Both processes take time and, of course, an added cost.

3. Reducing or eliminating missed errors – much as described above, there is a risk of not only creating errors with false data but also overlooking issues that are actually there. Using the same example as above, with a tolerance of 4mm over a given gauge length and the floor failing at 5.5mm, survey equipment with an accuracy of +/-1mm can show the floor to be compliant at 3.5mm. See Figures 3 and 4 showing this phenomenon.

What happens now?

– Nothing, as it won’t be checked or remediated.

If there is an issue with the floor later down the line and the area is checked using more accurate equipment, then there may be contractual issues as described in point 1.

This question doesn’t only relate to floors but all kinds of services.

After all, you wouldn’t see engineers from a precision engineering workshop leaving their micrometre on the side and instead using a tape measure to measure to 0.05mm! Not only would it be inaccurate, but the client wouldn’t be receiving the part or service they are paying for and rightly expect.

New Floor Surveying Technology

The newest trend coming through the industry for surveying floor surface regularity is 3D scanning.

Although the resolution of a 3D scan can be very good and outputs “pretty pictures”, what is the actual accuracy of a scan and how useful is the data?

Some companies are claiming an accuracy of +/-1mm (although even this may not be good enough in some scenarios), which is tighter than the claims of the scanner company itself when testing in perfect conditions.

From studies in working conditions, using some of the best equipment and processes on the market, the accuracy is more like +/-2mm.

Don’t just take my word for it:

You can read studies conducted and published by the ACI here.

We are always carrying out studies to develop our understanding of the capabilities of 3D scanning and will be continuously sharing the results from these studies. We strive to be at the forefront once the capabilities of any survey method have proven to be suitable for the industry.

Global Leaders in Floor Testing

CoGri Group and Face Consultants are seen as the global leaders in floor testing and have been for many years. We develop new devices and software to assist in measuring floors.

Face Consultants has a 3D scanning division and is pushing the limits of the equipment and software to get the best results. When we scan floors using this equipment, we do so to get a general idea of the floor profile, determine overlay thicknesses, or investigate large movement in floors from settlement or heave, but not, as yet, to determine compliance with floor flatness specifications.

So, the question should be:
If 3D scanning is considered suitable for measuring tight tolerances by some other companies, why are Face Consultants and CoGri not promoting the use of it for these applications?

Limitations of 3D Scanning for Checking Floor Flatness Compliance

An article written by the CoGri Managing Director can be found in the link below which describes one of the studies carried out to determine the usability of 3D scanning. This is available here.

If you have any questions or want to discuss the topic further, feel free to get in touch at james.dare@cogrigroup.com

James Dare

James Dare is a Flooring Consultant at Face Consultants Ltd. He has over 15 years experience in the industrial concrete flooring industry involving designing, specifying, testing, constructing and rectifying high tolerance floors for the logistics industry.

Contact James today or follow us on LinkedIn:
James Dare - LinkedIn
Face Consultants - LinkedIn

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For the first time, CoGri Australia and Face Consultants PTY Ltd will be exhibiting at CeMAT, the world’s leading trade fair for intralogistics, materials handling, and supply chain management.

Representing Australia and New Zealand, our team of industrial flooring experts will be on stand F11, The Dome, Sydney Olympic Park, 25-27 July 2023.

Warehouse Flooring Advice From the Experts

CoGri Australia will be speaking to visitors about the flooring services we provide for floor repair and refurbishments, Very Narrow Aisle (VNA) grinding, flooring solutions for automated warehouses, and wire guidance & installation.

Face Consultants Australia will be advising on industrial floor design, consultancy, testing, and surveying. Also, services for Goods to Person (G2P), such as designing and testing floors for automated systems & robotics, and 3D floor scanning.

Glenn Powell, Australia’s General Manager, said: “We are really excited to be exhibiting at CeMAT 23 in Sydney, and my team and I are looking forward to speaking to existing and potential customers at the show.” He elaborates, “All attending CeMAT know exactly what they want to achieve from their warehouse – productivity and efficiency. Robotics and automated systems are being incorporated into operations at an unprecedented rate, but it is important, as with any materials handling equipment (MHE), that owners and managers ALWAYS consider the floor.”

He continues: “A neglected, non-flat, unlevel floor will ultimately slow down your handling equipment, no matter how new (or expensive!) it is. Face Consultants Australia can provide design services for those building their own warehouses, consultancy services for warehouses in progress, and testing or surveying services for floors that are already operational. CoGri Australia also provide repair and upgrade services for these operational warehouses.”

Glenn concludes: “Whatever stage of warehouse operations you are at, the floor is the basis of your entire building, and we would always advise you speak to an expert about getting the best performance from it. We hope to see you at stand F11 during the exhibition, so please, feel free to contact us to make an appointment, or simply turn up on the day.”

To register, please click HERE or contact Face or CoGri Australia today.

We look forward to seeing you at CeMAT 23!

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CoGri Group’s Managing Director Kevin Dare takes a close look at the limitations of 3D floor scanning and investigates mysterious circles on concrete warehouse floors.

These look very much like crop circles, but instead are on concrete warehouse floors.

Don’t worry, these do not actually exist on the floor, these are visual indicators of the uncertainty (inaccuracy) of 3D scanners when used to check floor surface regularity (flatness and levelness).

The more you look at a contour plan of a 3D scan of a floor, the more circles you will find.

What are they and how can we use them to determine the uncertainty value of the 3D scan survey?

When carrying out a 3D scan of a concrete floor there is an area directly under the scanner that cannot be picked up, a blind spot. Depending on the height the scanner is set (the higher the better when scanning a floor), the bigger the area under the scanner that cannot be seen. This circle of missed data will need to be filled in by data collected from adjacent scan positions.

The make and model of the scanner, the data collection setting on the scanner and the method of registration, will determine the accuracy of the survey data collected. If the above results in very accurate and repeatable data, the area of missing data will be filled in accurately and you will see no resultant circle.

The circle is more pronounced when the scale of the contour lines is set close together. As the contours are stretched, the visual impact of the circle is reduced, until the circle visually disappears. When all the circles of a given area disappear, this is the point where we could assume this to be the level of uncertainty.

The larger the survey area and the greater the number of scanner locations that need to be married in, the greater the uncertainty may be.

Here are the results of two scans:

Scan 1 – was carried out by Face Consultants Ltd (UK).

We have carried out an exercise on a strip of floor that is 43 metres long and 5 metres wide from a survey of a floor panel of 2400 square metres.

The data collected was with a Leica P40 with setting 3.1mm at 10m distance. Face Consultants positioned the 3D scanner at maximum 10 metres centres and set at a height of 1.8m. Registration was carried out using Leica Cyclone with a combination of 4.5” black and white scan targets and cloud to cloud being used to align the scans. Scan targets were set with a Leica MS60 total station.

The program used for analysing the point cloud data was N4ce.

The floor was cleaned with an industrial scrubber dryer before the survey.

Scan 2 – was carried out by another survey company.

The data was provided to Face Consultants for evaluation in an E57 format. Face Consultants put this data through N4ce in the same manner as above.

The data collected was from a Faro S70 with an unknown data collection setting at 10m scan centres and set at an unknown height. Registration we assume was with Faro ‘Scene’ and cloud to cloud.

We do not believe scan targets were used.

Is 3D Scanning Suitable for Compliance Testing Floor Surface Regularity?

On each floor area, we have shown contour settings starting at 0.1mm and then steadily increasing by an additional 0.1mm. We can estimate the uncertainty value by looking at the contours around the circles until they all visually disappear. Once there is no evidence visually of a circle, this could be regarded as the uncertainty value of that particular survey, using that given equipment, and employing that specific method.

As can be seen from the contour plans of the two floors, we have an assumed uncertainty value of between 1.5mm and 2.0mm for Scan 1 and between 2.3mm and 3.0mm for Scan 2.

This data would then be used to determine compliance with a given surface regularity specification, which will invariably involve the differences in elevation of two or even three individual points and each point having the above uncertainty value. This concept of testing floors for contract compliance is exasperated by the fact that most surface regularity specifications have limits that are relatively small, and the above uncertainty values could be more than 50% of the limit we are trying to measure.

The resultant effect of a survey method that has such a large uncertainty is a report that will have many errors. These could be positive errors that will be seen in the survey results, but may not actually exist, and negative errors that do actually exist, but are not shown and will be missed. This becomes an issue if the floor is required to be remediated, what do you grind? We have also seen that when the same floor is re-surveyed, new errors are found but in different locations.

No, 3D Scanning is not Suitable

3D scanning is not yet a suitable method of determining floor surface regularity compliance for most specifications, especially where the uncertainty value is greater than 10% of the property limits we are checking against and the results determine whether a contractor gets paid or not.

Kevin Dare

Kevin Dare is the Founder and Managing Director of the CoGri Group of Companies. He has been involved with high tolerance floors for over 30 years. Having been instrumental in developing industry standards for concrete floor testing, Kevin is considered an expert in the Industrial Flooring Industry and could be regarded as the link between this and the Materials Handling Industry.

Contact Kevin and his team today or follow us on LinkedIn:
Kevin Dare - LinkedIn
CoGri Group - LinkedIn

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During the pandemic, trade shows adapted themselves to the new situation by changing their formats and strategies, for example with online exhibitions.

Now that exhibitors, visitors, and other stakeholders can return to physical venues, the CoGri Group is excited to be at IMHX once again.

We are looking forward to connecting with old and new faces and businesses, bringing our proven industrial flooring solutions and products.

IMHX 2022

IMHX is the UK’s leading intralogistics exhibition for professionals to engage with suppliers, solution providers, and supply chain experts across the UK. Held at NEC, Birmingham, UK, over three days, visitors can benefit from expert-led seminars; product demonstrations; and networking events.

The show’s opening hours are:

Tuesday 6 September 9:30 – 17:00
Wednesday 7 September 9:30 – 17:00
Thursday 8 September 9:30 – 16:00

Registering for IMHX 2022

You can register on our Meet the Team page above. Once registered you will receive an email confirming your attendance. Within this email, there is a ‘Download barcode’ link. Using this, you can either print off the barcode or show it on a mobile device at the exhibitions’ front desk in hall 5. You will then be given a badge to wear for the duration of your visit. The badge will allow exhibitors to scan your details, using the secure scanning app provided. The QR code on your badge (unique to you) also allows exhibitors to add information on any enquires you make or require, such as brochure requests or further technical information

IMHX is co-organised by Informa, a leading organiser of B2B events, as part of a joint venture with the UK Material Handling Association and is supported by leading industry associations including United Kingdom Warehousing Association (UKWA) and AMSHA.

What’s new at IMHX

This year IMHX has added a brand-new feature to their portfolio – a Sustainability Zone, set across 300m2 and delivered by SEC Group. The zone is split into dedicated areas, including virtual reality and selective experiences. These allow visitors to gain practical insight into resources and the latest developments in technology, helping to support and enhance the sustainability of operations within warehouses and logistics.

Visitors can also benefit from attending live sessions with leading experts from a multitude of sectors. Here, they can gain practical insights on how to enhance operations, bringing them in line with rapidly evolving marketplaces. Keep your eyes peeled for information on all the keynote speakers, which will be out soon!

Visit the live demo zone to experience the latest equipment, ready to take your business to the next level.

Getting you around IMHX

To help your visit run smoothly, we have added a site map of the NEC which can be accessed here:
Site Map – IMHX 2022

A floor plan of all exhibits can also be found HERE. To gain access, simply fill in your details. Alternatively, click here to view the Exhibitor Directory.

IMHX 2019 – At a glance

Due to the pandemic, 2019 was the last time that IMHX was open. According to their Post Show Report, IMHX in 2019 proved itself to be a ‘dynamic and industry-facing’ event, welcoming a record number of 462 exhibitors and 16,239 industry professionals across four halls at a staggering 380,000 square feet. The number of visitors with an annual expenditure of over £1m in logistics products and services grew by 8%. The Manufacturing & Engineering sectors were very popular, followed by forklift trucks and accessories being the most popular equipment used and/or purchased.

IMHX 2022 – Looking forward

It will be interesting in 2022 to see how the market has evolved due to the whirlwind of events we are experiencing. From Brexit and the Pandemic to the war in Ukraine and its impact on businesses and supply chains both home and abroad.

Planning your trip

Whether you come by car or by train, getting to IMHX couldn’t be easier. The NEC is located at the heart of the UK’s motorway network and offers excellent rail and air links. IMHX will be well signposted upon arrival.

The NEC – Hall 5
Pendigo Way
Marston Green
Birmingham B40 1PP

Further information on travel to the NEC by car, train, bus, bicycle, taxi, on foot, or by plane can be found here: https://www.imhx.net/en/travel.html

Come visit us at stand 5C60 to meet our team.

See you there!

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CoGri Group, alongside its German partner, BS Bodensysteme, exhibited at LogiMAT 2022, 31st May to 2nd June, in hall 10, at Stuttgart Trade Fair Centre, Germany.

Europe’s largest annual exhibition for intralogistics solutions and processes, LogiMAT has set new standards for such exhibitions over the last few years.

In addition to providing visitors with a comprehensive market overview and competent knowledge transfer, this event is an international leader in the field.

Back to Business

After a two-and-a-half-year hiatus, approximately 50,000 industry professionals visited the show, according to the LogiMAT Post Show Report. Most used the opportunity to explore the latest technologies and how they could be integrated to help provide intelligent, future-proof systems.

LogiMAT Visitors from Around the World

Visitors were welcomed to over 125,000m² of exhibition space in ten halls by 1,571 exhibitors from 39 countries. 393 of which were exhibiting for the very first time. All were eager to showcase their latest products, systems, and solutions for reliable automation and digital transformation.

LogiMAT arena hosted numerous forums where key industry experts and researchers took to the stage to discuss current logistic trends with an emphasis on practical, successful solutions. Providing maximum benefit to personnel responsible for procurement, production, warehousing and dispatching.

Representing the CoGri Group, Paul Altham, Director of Concrete Grinding, commented,“It was great to be back in Stuttgart meeting people face to face after a long two years. All three days were very busy with a wide range of flooring enquiries from many different countries. Our expertise in flooring issues relating to robotic and automated systems was particularly popular. We are delighted to declare the event a huge success, providing new and existing customers with solutions to optimise their warehouse operations, both now and in the future”

Future Exhibitions

With LogiMAT being such a great success, we have already booked for 2023! Watch this space for further information. Alternatively, please visit our Events Calendar.

CoGri Group will also be exhibiting at IMHX, an event not to be missed, from Tuesday 6th – Thursday 8th September 2022. Read our visitor guide to IMHX which includes information on our stand number, show times, how to arrange a one-to-one meeting with our team of experts at the show, and much more: IMHX 2022.

We look forward to seeing you soon!

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Last week was a busy one for CoGri Group, with two teams attending exhibitions in very different parts of the world. IntraLogisteX based in Coventry, UK, and MODEX 2022, based in Atlanta, USA.

Having a presence at these events allowed our specialists to talk to exhibition visitors about the flooring requirements they should be considering to enable maximum warehouse optimisation.

The floor is frequently overlooked by warehouse owners and managers, but it can cause many issues for materials handling equipment (MHE), automated storage and retrieval systems (ASRS), and robotics systems if proper attention isn’t paid to it.

Our objective is to ensure the floor in any new or existing warehouse is compatible with the function the facility was designed for. Ultimately, not just making certain your environment is safe but also reducing the cost of repair and maintenance for the foreseeable future.

IntraLogisteX 29th – 30th March 2022, Coventry Building Society Arena, Coventry, UK

IntraLogisteX exhibition, the fastest-growing annual event for the intralogistics industry, was an ideal show for the CoGri Group to attend as it showcased everything visitors needed to aid productivity and safety, maximize warehouse space, and reduce costs.

The two-day exhibition provided the best platform to access all the latest cutting-edge technologies available from the 150+ exhibitors in attendance. All were offering services to help transform operations and to give companies a competitive edge.

The event attracted 1400+ attendees, eager to learn, buy, and establish new business relationships. Featuring over 20 conference sessions with practical insights on innovative technologies and more than a dozen live demos, visitors knew they would be able to take home a solution.

Having completed a successful event and formed valuable relationships, we are glad to announce that the CoGri Group will be back in 2023!

Watch this space.

MODEX 2022 28th March – 31st March 2022, Georgia World Congress Centre, Atlanta, USA

Although COVID-19 had a knock-on effect on the event industry, MODEX show producer MHI returned with a bang in 2022.

The manufacturing and supply chain event saw a record-breaking figure of more than 37,047 visitors. They connected with over 857 exhibitors across 405,000 square feet of exhibit space at Atlanta’s Georgia World Congress Centre. That’s impressive!

According to MHI, this was the largest MODEX exhibition to date with over 20% more visitors than the last pre-pandemic show in 2018.

The four-day exhibition offered the opportunity to connect with leading industry providers from around the globe on a face-to-face basis. Exhibitors showcased their future-proof equipment and technology solutions. MODEX also featured over 100 education sessions delivered by four keynote speakers: https://www.modexshow.com/education.

The event was a great success, providing new and existing customers with solutions to optimise their warehouse operations.

Promat 2023

We are also pleased to announce we will be back exhibiting at Promat in 2023.

You can already register for the event by clicking HERE. Visit CoGri Group at Booth N8144, Level 3 – Halls B1 & B2, McCormick Place, Chicago.

See Promat 2023 floorplan here

Thanks For Visiting!

Thank you to those who visited us this year and we look forward to seeing everybody next year!

If you would like to attend any of the events we will be exhibiting at, they can be found here.

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MHD Supply Chain magazine recently spoke to our Group MD, Kevin Dare, about bespoke flatness, floor characteristics, and other requirements needed for robotics to perform at their best in automated warehouses.

Australia is now fully embracing the use of automated Materials Handling Equipment, and in doing so, many warehouse owners and operators are realising that the base of their operation, the floor, is just as important as the robotics they chose to employ.

In this article, Kevin explains why a greater emphasis must be placed on the floor if optimum performance, productivity, and cost-efficiency is to be achieved in automated warehouses. He explores how Face Consultants can help bridge the gap between the requirements of robotics manufacturers and the construction industry’s ability to deliver specialised floor specifications.

Read the full article here.

To discuss your automated warehouse floor’s requirements, contact us today for free expert advice.

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Patrick Moll, Technical Consultant at Face Consultants S.E.A, explores how Very Narrow Aisle (VNA) ready floors are essential for effective warehouse operations. He looks at achieving 100% floor compliance using the Laser Grinder®, bonding topping slab upgrades, and manual grinding for floors requiring minimal grinding work.

Face Consultants S.E.A. has been busy recently checking VNA floors around South East Asia. All suffer from the same problem – uneven floor flatness.

The surveys carried out in accordance with the Defined Movement (DM) floor specifications show that all aisles in the VNA warehouses we surveyed failed to comply with the required tolerance.

The question is: what are we going to do about it?

There are a few ways to upgrade VNA floors to achieve the required tolerance.

1. Laser Grinding for 100% Floor Compliance

The most effective is through laser grinding. The Laser Grinder^® has been specifically developed to operate in a working warehouse environment, with minimal interference to a client’s ongoing operation. The wet, vacuum-enclosed grinding process is free from airborne dust and is clean enough to work alongside fully stocked racks – even in food and pharmaceutical storage facilities. This is the quickest method that will guarantee 100% floor compliance to the specification.

Warehouses in Singapore of one of the largest engine providers and one of the biggest logistics supply chains in the industry upgraded their VNA floors through laser grinding earlier this year. Both warehouses achieved full compliance to DM2 classification upon completion of the remedial laser grinding works.

2. Bonded Topping Slab Upgrade

In 2019, a Defined Movement floor for a ride track in Bali and Cibubur, Indonesia, was upgraded with a bonded topping slab over the existing suspended slab. As laser grinding is not applicable for defined curving paths, the floor was upgraded with a bonded topping slab using a long strip casting method.

Flexible forms were used to set the edges of the ride track, and highly skilled finishers carried out the straight edging to ensure compliance to Defined Movement floor specification in accordance with American Concrete Institute’s (ACI) Fmin 55 floor classification.

3. Manual Grinding for VNAs

Last September, we assisted on a VNA upgrade, for the world’s leading manufacturer of construction and mining equipment. The non-compliant portions of the aisle were ground down to achieve the limits set on DM3 classification in accordance with The Concrete Society’s TR34 (4th Edition).

Out of tolerance spots along the wheel path of the Materials Handling Equipment (MHE) were ground down using an electric hand grinder. Our in-house developed All-In-One Profileograph was used to quickly check that the transverse and longitudinal properties of the DM floor were being corrected as the grinding works progressed

A local flooring contractor from Jakarta, Indonesia, will soon attempt to upgrade a VNA floor to DM1 classification in accordance with TR34 (4th Edition) through manual grinding as well. With the use of a trolley grinder and hand grinder, high spots will be lowered down to tolerance. This method of floor upgrade is ideal if the VNA does not require extensive grinding works, providing an experienced and diligent grinding operator is used.

No matter how much work your warehouse floor requires, Face Consultants S.E.A can help you upgrade it to VNA ready operations.

TAKE THE FIRST STEP – HAVE YOUR FLOOR PROFESSIONALLY SURVEYED BY FACE CONSULTANTS S.E.A. – Contact us today

Patrick Francis Moll

Patrick Francis Moll is a Technical Consultant at Face Consultants S.E.A. He moved to Singapore after completing his Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering at Technological University of the Philppines. Patrick has been working within the CoGri Group for the past 5 years, initially as a Project Engineer for CoGri Asia Pacific before joining the Face Consultants team in 2017. Patrick is an expert on industrial flooring surveys and testing.

Contact Patrick and the Face S.E.A team today or follow us on LinkedIn:
Patrick Francis Moll - LinkedIn
Face Consultants S.E.A - LinkedIn

The post Floor Upgrades for VNA Operations in South East Asia appeared first on CoGri Group Ltd.

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Well, this is a first for the CoGri team – we are ‘manning’ a booth at a virtual exhibition! IMHX Connect, the essential online meeting place for logistics professionals, launches 13th September until 17th September 2021.

The virtual event allows business people to find solutions to logistic challenges with one-to-one meetings, as well as being able to read or watch thought-leadership content.

Designed to deliver the benefits of a live event but none of the corona virus risks (and you get to stay in your own office/home!), you can meet with the team leaders from CoGri’s group of companies, Concrete Grinding Ltd, Face Consultants, and CG Flooring Systems.

Simply book an appointment within the CoGri Group booth with one of our managers at a mutually convenient time. We will be happy to discuss your concrete flooring requirements whether floor design, testing, grinding, upgrading, or repair.

Our team of managers are:

Greg Stokes

Face Consultants – Design
Structural Floor Design & Detailing, Floor Design Peer Review, Onsite Construction Supervision, and Flooring Consultancy Services

Chris Linley

Face Consultants – Design
Structural Floor Design & Detailing, Floor Design Peer Review, Onsite Construction Supervision, and Flooring Consultancy Services

Duane Scarfe

Face Consultants – Testing
Flatness Surveying and Testing for Free Movement and Defined Movement Floors. Floor Testing for Slip Resistance, Surface Gloss, Surface Regularity and more.

Alan Yuill

CG Flooring Systems Ltd
Specialists in Applied Finishes, Refurbishment, and Repair of Industrial and Commercial Concrete Floor Slabs

Paul Altham

Concrete Grinding Ltd
Experts in upgrading concrete floor flatness in Very Narrow Aisle (VNA) warehouses to ensure safe and efficient operations. Providing total grinding flexibility to suit any VNA truck and floor flatness standard.

Kevin Dare

CoGri Group
Global consortium of concrete flooring specialists, with over 31 years experience in the design, construction, testing, surveying, and upgrading of floors for industrial, commercial, warehouse, and automated facilities.

Register Today

Register for IMHX Connect HERE. Once the event is live on 31st August you will be able to visit our booth (Search ‘CoGri Group’ to find us), view the team members in attendance, and book a meeting slot.

We look forward to ‘virtually’ meeting you there!

The post The CoGri Group – Coming to a Screen Near You! appeared first on CoGri Group Ltd.

The post The CoGri Group – Coming to a Screen Near You! appeared first on Face Consultants.

Visit the CoGri Group at IntraLogisteX, 1-2 July 2021.

A floor is just a floor surely? Discover why it is so much more and how it may be the most important element of any new or existing automated warehouse by visiting the CoGri Group on Stand 1030 at IntraLogisteX 2021.

As an international consortium of flooring solution specialists, the CoGri Group can provide a full range of flooring services for automated warehouses. Representatives from Face Consultants, CG Flooring Systems, and Concrete Grinding Ltd will be in attendance to explain why your warehouse floor should be the first consideration when using robotics.

Face Consultants

Face Consultants are international experts in the surveying and testing of floor flatness for Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs), Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems (ASRS), Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs), and other robotic systems such as collaborative robots (Cabots), aiding the optimisation of commercial and industrial floors for productive and cost-effective operations.

Face Consultants also test floors in VNA warehouses utilising fully automated systems, or semi-automated operations where VNA trucks are in use, ensuring that specifications for floor flatness are met in relation to the height of the racking system.

Our Robotics Profileograph, designed and manufactured in-house by the CoGri Engineering team, will be on display at the show. The Robotics Profileograph is used to identify areas of the floor out of tolerance and requiring remedial grinding.

Concrete Grinding

Experts from Concrete Grinding Ltd will be on hand to explain how super or even ultra-flat floor specifications for VNA (Very Narrow Aisle) operations with semi or fully automated systems can be achieved using our world-leading laser-guided grinding system, the Laser Grinder.

CG Flooring Systems

For all other automated operations, CG Flooring are experts in grinding concrete industrial floors into compliance, meeting specifications for respective automated systems swiftly and effectively, with vacuum enhanced equipment to control dust and ensure minimal disruption.

Improve Automated Warehouse Performance

Group M.D, Kevin Dare, says “We are delighted to be able to connect with our customers at the IntraLogisteX show and demonstrate how the floor makes such a difference to your automated warehouse performance. Such warehouses are now seen as essential for meeting consumer’s demands, and the cleaner, faster, and more efficiently your automated systems operate, the more cost-effective and productive they will be.” He continues “Many investors, operators and owners rightly focus on the robotics used in their warehouses however, this can be of detriment to the base of their operations – the floor. Our group of companies will be on hand at the show to explain and demonstrate why the flatter your floor is, the better your automated facilities will run.”

Visit us

Visit us on Stand 1030 at IntraLogisteX, Ricoh Arena, Coventry, 1-2 July 2021 to discover how the CoGri Group will deliver the perfect floor for your automated system.

Free registration is available at http://bit.ly/IntraLogisteX-CoGri. We look forward to seeing you there.

The post Why the Floor may be the Most Important Part of Your Automated Warehouse appeared first on CoGri Group Ltd.

The post Why the Floor may be the Most Important Part of Your Automated Warehouse appeared first on Face Consultants.

Czym jest ASRS?

ASRS (ang. Automated Storage and Retrieval System) to automatyczny system składowania i odbioru. Choć większość ludzi uważa, że jest to nowe rozwiązanie, technologia ta pozostaje w użyciu od ponad 50 lat. Z biegiem czasu była stale ulepszana, znacznie zwiększając jej możliwości. Początkowo system był używany głównie do transportu ciężkich palet, jednak jego najnowocześniejsza wersja została również rozszerzona o specjalne systemy oparte na modułowych pojemnikach do przechowywania lżejszych towarów – Modular Cube Based Storage Systems.

Jak to działa?

ASRS to sterowane komputerowo systemy, które składują i odbierają produkty w centrach dystrybucji, magazynach i zakładach produkcyjnych. Sposób ich budowy oraz działania różni się w zależności od typu systemu. W przypadku rozwiązań przeznaczonych do przenoszenia ciężkich palet stosuje się regały magazynowe z wąskimi korytarzami, między którymi porusza się po metalowej szynie specjalny dźwig z wysokim masztem.

Gdy dźwig osiągnie wyznaczone miejsce, mechanizm ładunkowy porusza się w góre lub w dół masztu do poziomu, na którym przechowywany jest produkt. Następnie pobiera towar i przenosi go do miejsca przeznaczenia. W przypadku systemów przeznaczonych do przenoszenia lżejszych dóbr, towary są przechowywane w specjalnych pojemnikach ułożonych jeden na drugim, które są przenoszone z jednego miejsca na drugie przez roboty operujące na szczycie regału. To rozwiązanie eliminuje przestrzenie między regałami, ponieważ nie odbywa się między nimi żaden ruch.

Jakie są zalety korzystania z ASRS?

Dzięki ASRS przestrzeń magazynowa jest lepiej wykorzystywana niż w przypadku tradycyjnych rozwiązań, zwłaszcza w porównaniu do modułowych systemów magazynowych opartych na specjalnych pojemnikach. Dzieje się tak, ponieważ systemy ASRS eliminują wolne przestrzenie między regałami, które w tradycyjnych magazynach są potrzebne do poruszania się wózków widłowych. W przypadku systemów zaprojektowanych do przenoszenia cięższych palet nie jesteśmy w stanie wyeliminować przestrzeni między regałami, jednak lepsze wykorzystanie przestrzeni można uzyskać zwiększając wysokość składowania do której standardowe wózki widłowe nie byłyby w stanie dosięgnąć.

Automatyzacja magazynu oznacza również redukcję kosztów pracy, ponieważ minimalizuje potrzebę zatrudniania operatorów maszyn. To z kolei ma bezpośredni wpływ na bezpieczeństwo, ponieważ zmniejsza ryzyko wypadków.

Oszczędza się również czas, ponieważ systemy automatyczne wykonują operacje składowania i odbioru szybciej, wydajniej i przy mniejszym ryzyku błędu.

Jak upewnić się, że Twój magazyn jest gotowy na ASRS?

Bardzo ważnym elementem wpływającym na sukces w automatyzacji magazynu jest prawidłowe przygotowanie posadzki. Żaden system nie będzie działał poprawnie na posadzce, która nie spełnia wymagań dotyczących płaskości lub równości. Przed zainstalowaniem jakiegokolwiek automatycznego systemu magazynowania, należy ją odpowiednio zbadać, sprawdzając, czy spełnione są wymagania określone przez producenta systemu. Aby uniknąć problemów z instalacją i obsługą, sprawdzenie, czy Twoja posadzka jest gotowa na ASRS powinno zostać powierzone specjalistom w tej dziedzinie.

W Face Consultants rozumiemy parametry pracy sprzętu zrobotyzowanego i ustalimy zestaw charakterystyk wydajności pracy. Wymagania charakterystyki powierzchni takie jak określony połysk, tarcie czy mikrochropowatość również mogą zostać wyznaczone, aby zapewnić jak najlepszą wydajność.

Nasi wysoko wykwalifikowani inżynierowie mogą również sprawdzić regularność powierzchni pod kątem płaskości, równości, krzywizny czy przejść międzystopniowych.

Sprawdzanie zgodności

W razie potrzeby, Face Consultants, rozwieje wszelkie niejasności lub nieporozumienia, opracowując i uzgadniając jasną metodę sprawdzania zgodności. Należy upewnić się, że wszystkie zaangażowane strony rozumieją elementy wymagane do dostarczenia posadzki odpowiedniej dla udanego i wydajnego magazynu automatycznego.

Doświadczenie, które firma Face Consultants zdobywała przez lata, zarówno w Polsce, jak i na świecie, oraz nasz specjalistyczny, nowoczesny i niezwykle precyzyjny sprzęt pomiarowy, pomoże dokładnie określić stan posadzki. W przypadku nie spełnienia wymagań norm zwrócimy uwagę na elementy, które są potrzebne do poprawy jakości posadzki.

Wybór odpowiednich specjalistów zarówno do badań posadzek przemysłowych, jak i ich szlifowania, znacznie uprości proces wdrażania automatyzacji w Twoim magazynie.

Aby dowiedzieć się więcej i uzyskać bezpłatną poradę dotyczącą testowania posadzki magazynowej przeznaczonej dla ASRS, skontaktuj się z nami już dziś.

Bartosz Sobowiec

Bartosz Sobowiec, po ukończeniu Politechniki Wrocławskiej i krótkiej wyprawie w świat żywności dołączył do Face Consultants z siedzibą w Wielkiej Brytanii i rozpoczął pracę na stanowisku Surveyor. Gdy pojawiła się możliwość otworzenia biura w Polsce, Bartosz awansował na stanowisko General Manager w Face Consultants Sp. z o. o.

Skontaktuj się z Bartoszem i jego zespołem już dziś.
Bartosz Sobowiec - LinkedIn
Face Consultants - LinkedIn

The post Testowanie posadzek przemysłowych w celu zapewnienia bezpiecznej i wydajnej pracy ASRS appeared first on Face Consultants.

Bartosz Sobowiec, General Manager for Face Consultants, Poland, shares his insights into the world of ASRS, Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems, and how it all starts with the most important element of a successfully automated warehouse – the floor.

What is ASRS?

ASRS is an Automated Storage and Retrieval System. Although most people think this is a new solution, the technology has been in use for more than 50 years. Over time it has been constantly developed, significantly increasing its capabilities. Initially used predominantly for carrying heavy pallets, its most modern version was also extended with special systems for storing lighter goods – Modular Cube Based Storage Systems.

How does it work?

ASRS are computer-controlled systems that store and retrieve products in distribution centres, warehouses, and manufacturing facilities. The way they are constructed and operate differs depending on the type of system. In the case of those designed to carry heavy pallets, the pallet rack with narrow aisles between, allows a tall-masted crane to move down the centre of the aisle on a raised metal rail.

When the mast reaches a designated location, the carriage travels up or down the mast to the level where the product is stored. Then it retrieves the goods and moves it to its destination. Where designed to carry lighter goods, items are stored in special bins stacked on top of one another, which are moved from one location to another by the robots operating on the top of the rack. This solution eliminates inter-rack spaces for aisles as there is no movement between the racks.

What are the advantages of using ASRS?

With ASRS, warehouse space is better employed than with traditional solutions, especially compared to modular cube-based storage systems. This is because ASRS systems eliminate the free spaces between the racks which, in traditional warehouses, are required for forklifts to move around in. For systems designed to move heavier pallets, we are not able to eliminate inter-rack space however, better use of space can be achieved by increasing the height of storage, which standard forklift trucks would not be able to reach.

Automating warehouses also mean reducing labour costs as they minimise the need to hire machine operators. This in turn has a direct impact on safety as it reduces the risk of accidents.

Time is also saved as automatic systems perform storage and retrieval operations faster, more efficiently, and with a lower risk of error.

How to make sure your warehouse is ready for ASRS?

One very important element for success in warehouse automation is the correct floor preparation. No system will work well on a floor that does not meet the flatness or levelness requirements. Before installing any automatic storage system, it must first be properly surveyed, verifying that the requirements set by the manufacturer of the system are met. To avoid problems with installation and operation, checking if your floor is ASRS ready should be entrusted to specialists in this field.

Face Consultants understand the working parameters of Robotics equipment and will establish a set of working performance characteristics. Characteristics such as specified gloss, friction, and surface micro-roughness requirements to enable the best performance can be specified for the construction industry to follow.

Surface regularity can also be checked by our highly trained engineers for flatness, levelness, curvature, and step transitions.

Compliance Checking

When required, Face Consultants will remove any ambiguities or misunderstandings by drafting up and agreeing on a clear method of compliance checking. Therefore, ensuring that all involved parties understand the elements required to deliver a floor suitable for a successful and productive automated warehouse.

The experience Face Consultants has gained over the years in both Poland and around the world, and our specialized, modern, and extremely precise surveying equipment, will help to accurately determine the condition of the floor. In the event of failure to meet requirements of the standards, we will highlight the elements which are needed to improve the quality of the floor.

Choosing the right specialists for both industrial floor surveys and grinding your warehouse floor will significantly simplify the process of implementing automation in your warehouse.

To find out more and for free advice on testing your warehouse floor for ASRS, please contact us today.

Read this article in Polish

przeczytaj ten artykuł w języku polskim

Bartosz Sobowiec

Bartosz Sobowiec graduated from Wrocław University of Science and Technology and, after a brief venture into the world of food and beverages, joined Face Consultants based in the UK as a Surveyor. When the opportunity arose to establish an office in Poland, Bartosz was promoted to General Manager for Face Consultants Sp. z o.o.

Contact Bartosz and his team today or follow us on LinkedIn:
Bartosz Sobowiec - LinkedIn
Face Consultants - LinkedIn

The post Testing Industrial Floors to Ensure Safe and Efficient ASRS Operations appeared first on CoGri Group Ltd.

The post Testing Industrial Floors to Ensure Safe and Efficient ASRS Operations appeared first on Face Consultants.

In this article published on LinkedIn, our Group M.D, Kevin Dare, analyses the use of a 3D laser scanner on a live project for a robotics picking facility running on a composite metal deck. The article details the reasons why he is still reluctant to go down the 3D scanning route for checking compliance to floor flatness specifications.

Overview

Face Consultants were contacted by the floor grinding team working on the project after they experienced problems grinding to the error plans produced by the 3D scanning company. Face Consultants’ job was to check the validity of the plans, as the grinding crew were struggling to find many of the errors marked, combined with a lack of onsite direction from the scanning company.

In fact, FACE discovered that 40% to 60% of the errors marked by the 3D scanning crew were false positives, and errors not found with the 3D scanning process, false negatives, were also uncovered.

Kevin explores why it might be that such errors were found, including looking at uncertainty values, the cleanliness of the floor, and the time taken to process the point cloud data and produce usable information. Also, how to validate the errors generated by the scan, therefore, ensuring that grinding is not carried out unnecessarily, and what the correct resolution of data for floor compliance is.

In this article Kevin observes that one of the main problems with the 3D scanning process was workflow and process time.

What are your thoughts on the role of 3D laser scanning for checking compliance to floor flatness specifications?

You can read the whole article here (PDF file) or continue the discussion on LinkedIn.

The post 3D Scanning vs. Profileograph for Checking Compliance to Floor Flatness Specifications appeared first on CoGri Group Ltd.

The post 3D Scanning vs. Profileograph for Checking Compliance to Floor Flatness Specifications appeared first on Face Consultants.

Almost every day there is an article posted about the next technology that is going to change the logistics industry. Our thirst for a better deal is fuelling e-commerce as more consumers turn to online shopping over retail, especially since the Covid 19 virus outbreak. eRetailers on the other hand battle it out to win your business by promising lower prices, faster deliveries and a safer shopping experience.

Our city centres are changing, and shops of the future will be more of a showroom for the goods you will buy online, rather than selling you the end product. Augmented Reality (AR) will no doubt be a big contributor to this change as you will simply hold up your phone or tablet and be able to explore in detail your future purchase whether it be a new item of clothing, a piece of furniture, or your favourite food.

Whilst all of this is terribly exciting, yet at the same time somewhat frightening, whatever the future holds there is no denying the logistics industry is changing at a breath-taking pace so, is your warehouse ready for these changes?

What is the warehouse of the future?

The warehouse of the future may look nothing like it is today. For example, an Amazon fulfilment centre is vastly different to a conventional warehouse. Instead of a single level, high ceiling box-style building, it is now a multi-level, low ceiling height warehouse where small robots replace high reach forklift trucks.

Where multi-storey department stores once stood and thousands of people shopped, these have been replaced, in some cases, by multi-level fulfilment centres because they are close to conurbations. Robotic fulfilment centres do not need conventionally high clearance ceilings, so this type of building is relatively easy to convert into a modern distribution centre.

Fear of jobs being lost to robotics is a genuine one but there is a misconception that a robotic warehouse gets rid of people and jobs. This is often not the case, as many hundreds or, in some cases, thousands of people are still required, even in a fully automated warehouse. Obviously, as technology is refined further this may change and reduce the requirement of people but for the moment at least, automated warehouses still need people.

What are the requirements of an automated warehouse?

1. Is your warehouse close enough to serve your customers?
2. Can your warehouse be converted to a higher density

facility, be that multi-level or very narrow aisle (VNA)?

3. Will AMRs (Autonomous Mobile Robots), ASRS (Automated Storage & Retrieval Systems), Cabots (Collaborative Robots), or AGVs (Automated Guided Vehicles), be able to operate safely and efficiently?

Start with the most important components

One of the most important components of any warehouse is the floor. Ask most distribution centre managers what matters most to their operation and they will usually answer, ‘does my roof leak and is the floor OK?’ People are obviously important too, but if your roof leaks and your floor is not able to service your customers, then the business really starts to suffer.

Robotics, VNA, AGVs, ASRS and even conveyors, all put greater demands on the warehouse floor than ever before. An existing warehouse floor may not be suitable for automated systems without some form of rectification or compromise. Newer developments don’t necessarily fare any better, and can be at more of a risk, being unable to service automation due to lean slab designs, which have been engineered to the limits. When robotics is added to the equation the demands on the floor change even further, with some requiring very specific requirements such as:

• Surface Gloss;
• Friction;
• Abrasion Resistance;
• Levelness;
• Flatness;
• Surface Resistivity; and even Roughness.

No longer is it just loads and flatness that is important for a warehouse floor, the demands on the floor are more complicated and challenging than ever before.

Creating the perfect automated warehouse floor

Whether you are considering ASRS, robotics, VNA, AGVs or just want a better floor, designed and constructed for the future, speak to us. We can help unravel the complexities and tell you, in plain English, what it means to your business to ultimately protect your investment.

A structural engineer may understand the design and the loads but marrying the materials handling equipment (MHE) and floor together takes a different level of understanding. The earlier you engage a specialist consultant, like Face Consultants (who lead the way in floor flatness testing for robotics), the greater your chances of success and the lower the risk to your project.

For further information please visit our Flooring Services for G2P page

Glenn Powell

Glenn Powell is the General Manager of CoGri Australia PTY Ltd and Face Consultants PTY Ltd. With over 14 years experience in the concrete flooring industry, Glenn’s experience spans design, testing and construction of industrial warehouse, distribution and fulfilment centres. Glenn has extensive experience with existing concrete floors be that upgrades, repairs and make good solutions.

Contact Glenn and his team today or follow us on LinkedIn:
Glenn Powell - LinkedIn
Face Consultants - LinkedIn

The post Is Your Warehouse Ready for Automation? appeared first on Face Consultants.

Utrzymanie optymalnej wydajności pracy jest najważniejszą kwestią dla każdego właściciela magazynu w Polsce, ponieważ jest to jeden z najistotniejszych czynników bezpośrednio wpływających na możliwy zysk.

Nieefektywny proces kompletacji towarów, nieoptymalne wykorzystanie przestrzeni magazynowej czy uszkodzenia magazynowanych produktów, to tylko niektóre z kwestii mogących negatywnie wpływać na wydajność. W większości przypadków, za problemy z jej utrzymaniem odpowiada czynnik ludzki i to na nim powinniśmy się skupić, szukając sposobów pozwalających je rozwiązać.

Choć nie da się go wyeliminować całkowicie, to nowoczesne rozwiązania i osiągnięcia techniki takie jak AMR pozwolą nam go maksymalnie zredukować.

Oto jak:

AMR, Autonomiczne Roboty Mobilne mogą zwiększyć wydajność Twojego magazynu

Autonomiczne Roboty Mobilne (AMR) są obecnie wykorzystywane w polskich magazynach częściej niż kiedykolwiek wcześniej. AMR to bezzałogowe, współpracujące między sobą oraz ludźmi mobilne platformy, które sprawdzić się mogą w transportowaniu palet z miejsca na miejsce. Urządzenia te nie wymagają zewnętrznej infrastruktury, aby bezkolizyjnie poruszać się po zadanej trasie – w tym pomaga im szereg czujników, z kamerą 3D na czele, pozwalających na wykrywanie przeszkód i odpowiednie dostosowanie ścieżki.

Te same czujniki pozwolą również urządzeniu zlokalizować specjalny podest (stację zdawczo-odbiorczą), z którego przy pomocy podnośnika zainstalowanego na robocie pobrać mogą paletę z towarem, a następnie przenieść w wybrane miejsce. Roboty wykonują powierzone zadania precyzyjnie, utrzymując stałe tempo pracy, bez wykonywania zbędnych ruchów czy czynności mogących mieć negatywny wpływ na wydajność.

Ale to jeszcze nie koniec całej historii…

Pomiary posadzki dla AMR

Autonomiczne Roboty Mobilne mogą zapewnić wzrost wydajności pracy magazynu, ale będą potrzebować do tego odpowiednio przygotowanego środowiska – posadzki spełniającej restrykcyjne wymagania dotyczące regularności powierzchni (płaskość, wypoziomowanie, krzywizna), a także charakterystyki powierzchni (połysk, tarcie, mikroszorstkość oraz odporność na ścieranie). Aby uniknąć problemów z eksploatacją AMR w przyszłości, sprawdzenie, czy nasza posadzka spełnia te wymagania, należy powierzyć specjalistom w tej dziedzinie.

Doświadczenie, które firma Face Consultants uzyskała na przestrzeni lat zarówno w Polsce, jak i na świecie, oraz specjalistyczny, nowoczesny i niezwykle precyzyjny sprzęt jakim dysponujemy pomoże dokładnie określić stan posadzki. W przypadku niespełnienia wymagań norm, możemy doradzić jakie działania naprawcze należy podjąć, aby poprawić jej jakość.

To prowadzi nas do…

Co zrobić, gdy posadzka nie spełnia wymagań regularności powierzchni?

Nasze urządzenia pomiarowe są w stanie dokładnie określić, w którym miejscu jakość posadzki odbiega od normy. Wykresy uzyskane podczas pomiarów w sposób jasny i przejrzysty wskazują niedoskonałości powierzchni. Dzięki temu nasi specjaliści mogą je później łatwo odnaleźć i oznaczyć te miejsca do dalszego procesu naprawczego przez szlifowanie.

Podsumowując, próba wdrożenia Autonomicznych Robotów Mobilnych na posadzce, która nie spełnia odpowiednich wymagań, z pewnością zakończy się niepowodzeniem. Wybór odpowiednich specjalistów, zarówno do pomiarów posadzek przemysłowych, jak i ich szlifowania, pozwoli Twojej firmie wkroczyć w XXI wiek rozwiązań magazynowych.

Skontaktuj się z Face Consultants już dziś, aby stworzyć najlepszą posadzkę dla Twoich urządzeń zautomatyzowanych.

Bartosz Sobowiec

Bartosz Sobowiec, po ukończeniu Politechniki Wrocławskiej i krótkiej wyprawie w świat żywności dołączył do Face Consultants z siedzibą w Wielkiej Brytanii i rozpoczął pracę na stanowisku Surveyor. Gdy pojawiła się możliwość otworzenia biura w Polsce, Bartosz awansował na stanowisko General Manager w Face Consultants Sp. z o. o.

Skontaktuj się z Bartoszem i jego zespołem już dziś.
Bartosz Sobowiec - LinkedIn
Face Consultants - LinkedIn

The post Czy wydajność w Twoim magazynie wpływa na potencjalny zysk? appeared first on Face Consultants.

Bartosz Sobowiec, General Manager for Face Consultants Poland, explains why warehouse floor surface regularity is essential to optimise automated equipment efficiency.

Maintaining optimal work efficiency is paramount for any warehouse owner in Poland, since it is one of the most important factors directly affecting possible profit.

Inefficient picking processes, suboptimal use of storage space, or damage to stored products are just some of the things that negatively affect work efficiency. In most cases, the human factor is responsible for problems with maintaining performance and we should focus on this when looking for the way to solve them.

Although, it cannot be completely eliminated modern solutions and technological achievements such as AMRs will allow us to reduce it as much as possible.

This is how:

AMRs, Autonomous Mobile Robots, can help your warehouse performance

Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) are now being used more frequently in Polish warehouses than ever before. AMRs are unmanned mobile platforms that cooperate with each other and with people, and can be used to transport pallets from place to place. These devices do not require external infrastructure to move without collisions along a given route – a number of sensors and a 3D camera allow them to detect obstacles and adjust the path accordingly.

The same sensors will also allow the device to locate a special platform (picking and depositing station) from which they can pick up a pallet with goods using a lift installed on the robot, and then move it to a selected place. Robots perform the assigned tasks precisely, maintaining a constant pace of work, without making unnecessary movements and activities that may have a negative impact on productivity.

But that’s not the whole story…

Floor survey for AMRs

Whilst Autonomous Mobile Robots can provide an increase in warehouse work efficiency, they also need a properly prepared environment – and that means a floor that can meet restrictive requirements of surface regularity (flatness, levelness, curvature, and step transition), as well as surface characteristics (gloss, friction, micro roughness, and abrasion resistance). To avoid problems with the operation of an AMR in the future, checking if your floor meets these requirements should be entrusted to specialists in this field.

The experience that Face Consultants has gained over the years in both Poland and around the world, and our specialized, modern, and extremely precise surveying equipment, will help to accurately determine the condition of the floor. In the event of failure to meet the requirements of the standards, we can guide you on the corrective actions needed to improve the quality of the floor.

This leads us onto…

What to do when your concrete floor does not meet the requirements of the surface regularity?

Our surveying devices can accurately determine where the quality of the floor deviates from the norm. The graphs obtained during the surveying process, clearly and transparently show the imperfections of the surface. This means our specialists can easily find them later and mark these places for further remediation process by grinding.

To summarise, any attempt to implement Autonomous Mobile Robots on the floor that does not meet the requirements will surely end in failure. Choosing the right specialists for both industrial floor surveys and grinding your warehouse floor will let your business step into 21st century of storage solutions.

Contact Face Consultants today to create the best floor for your automated equipment.

Read this article in Polish

przeczytaj ten artykuł w języku polskim

Bartosz Sobowiec

Bartosz Sobowiec graduated from Wrocław University of Science and Technology and, after a brief venture into the world of food and beverages, joined Face Consultants based in the UK as a Surveyor. When the opportunity arose to establish an office in Poland, Bartosz was promoted to General Manager for Face Consultants Sp. z o.o.

Contact Bartosz and his team today or follow us on LinkedIn:
Bartosz Sobowiec - LinkedIn
Face Consultants - LinkedIn

The post Is Your Warehouse Work Efficiency Affecting Your Potential Profit? appeared first on CoGri Group Ltd.

The post Is Your Warehouse Work Efficiency Affecting Your Potential Profit? appeared first on Face Consultants.

Jakość posadzki przemysłowej w magazynie jest tak samo ważna dla systemów regałowych, jak fundamenty czy stropy dla jakiejkolwiek konstrukcji budowlanej. Musi być ona w stanie przenosić obciążenia na podłoże bezpiecznie oraz bez istotnych odkształceń.

Obecnie w Polsce rośnie zapotrzebowanie na magazyny wysokiego składowania, z ponad 2.2 mln mkw. powierzchni magazynowej w budowie w 2020 roku, a lokalizacje takie jak Kraków, Trójmiasto czy Szczecin zyskują na znaczeniu jako węzły logistyczne – według danych Knight Frank, międzynarodowej firmy doradczej w dziedzinie nieruchomości ( https://content.knightfrank.com/research/2021/documents/en/poland-warehouse-market-q1-2020-7284.pdf).

Gdy w takich magazynach wymagane są regały wysokiego składowania, musimy mieć na uwadze dwie ważne kwestie:

1. Wielotonowe naciski, skupione na bardzo małej powierzchni posadzki, które muszą być brane pod uwagę podczas procesu projektowania.
2. Płaskość posadzki spełniająca odpowiednie normy (TR34, VDMA, DIN15185 lub inne) oraz zapewniająca optymalną wydajność i bezpieczną pracę.

Projekt i wykonanie posadzki przemysłowej

O ile prawidłowe zaprojektowanie posadzki przemysłowej pod kątem wymagań wytrzymałościowych nie powinno stanowić problemu dla doświadczonego projektanta, o tyle późniejsze jej wykonanie, a zwłaszcza jej płaskość i wypoziomowanie może często odbiegać od wymagań stawianych przez wybraną normę.

Pomiar płaskości posadzki dla VNA

Przed montażem regałów magazynowych VNA należy wykonać pomiar płaskości posadzki w celu ustalenia czy jest ona zgodna z odpowiednią normą. Ze względu na bardzo restrykcyjne wymagania, pomiar musi być wykonany niezwykle dokładnie, do czego idealnie nadają się nowoczesne i precyzyjne urządzenia pomiarowe takie jak Face Digital Profileograph.

Face Digital Profileograph

Face Digital Profileograph spełnia swoją rolę idealnie, niezależnie od wybranej normy płaskości ponieważ można go dostosować do każdej z nich. Tylko po wykonaniu takich pomiarów będziemy w stanie odpowiedzieć na pytanie, czy na posadzce możliwe będzie zastosowanie regałów wysokiego składowania z wąskimi korytarzami oraz czy wózki widłowe będą w stanie pracować w nich bezpiecznie i z optymalną wydajnością.

Musimy pamiętać, że nawet niewielkie defekty płaskości posadzki mogą spowodować wychylenie masztu wózka przy wzroście wysokości podnoszenia.

Co zrobić gdy posadzka w Twoim magazynie nie spełnia wymagań normy płaskości?

Jeśli posadzka nie spełnia odpowiednich wymagań co do płaskości, wielu właścicieli i kierowników magazynów wybierze pozornie najtańsze rozwiązanie, jakim jest ograczenie prędkości wózków widłowych. Jednak nie chcąc ponosić kosztów naprawy posadzki i dostosowywania jej do odpowiedniej normy, ryzykują nie tylko drastyczne ograniczenie wydajności pracy, ale także zwiększone prawdopodobieństwo wypadków, w których pracownicy mogą ulec obrażeniom, a towar uszkodzeniu.

Według raportu Głównego Urzędu Statystycznego „Wypadki przy pracy w 2019 roku” w sektorze transportu i gospodarki magazynowej poszkodowanych zostało 6885 osób w tym 33 w wypadkach śmiertelnych. Kierowcy i operatorzy pojazdów stanowili 2417 z nich, a oszacowane straty materialne spowodowane wypadkami przy pracy w tym sektorze wyniosły 45 155 900.00 zł.

Wózki VNA poruszające się po posadzce niespełniającej norm płaskości będą również narażone na uszkodzenia mechaniczne, a tym samym wyższe koszty napraw. Kiedy zsumujemy te wszystkie koszty na które się narażamy, to rozwiązanie nie wydaje się już być najtańsze.

Najlepsze rozwiązanie – odpowiednie szlifowanie!

Najlepszym rozwiązaniem w takiej sytuacji jest szlifowanie posadzki, zapewniające pełną zgodność z normą płaskości. Zadanie to powinno być wykonane przez specjalistów przy użyciu najlepszego sprzętu dostępnego na rynku. Firmy takie jak Concrete Grinding Ltd ze swoim najbardziej zaawansowanym, sterowanym laserowo, systemem szlifowania posadzek – Laser Grinder® – spełnią wszelkie oczekiwania klientów i zapewnią najwyższą jakość, niezależnie od tego czy mamy do czynienia z nową czy istniejącą posadzką. Jest to czysty, szybki i bardzo skuteczny sposób na osiągnięcie pożądanego stopnia płaskości posadzki przy niewielkich lub zerowych zakłóceniach w bieżącej działalności magazynu.

Wybór odpowiednich specjalistów, zarówno do pomiarów płaskości posadzki jak i jej szlifowania zgodnie z właściwą specyfikacją zapewni bezpieczniejsze i mniej stresujące środowisko pracy.

Bartosz Sobowiec

Bartosz Sobowiec, po ukończeniu Politechniki Wrocławskiej i krótkiej wyprawie w świat żywności dołączył do Face Consultants z siedzibą w Wielkiej Brytanii i rozpoczął pracę na stanowisku Surveyor. Gdy pojawiła się możliwość otworzenia biura w Polsce, Bartosz awansował na stanowisko General Manager w Face Consultants Sp. z o. o.

Skontaktuj się z Bartoszem i jego zespołem już dziś.
Bartosz Sobowiec - LinkedIn
Face Consultants - LinkedIn

The post Pomiary posadzek przemysłowych w Polsce appeared first on Face Consultants.

Bartosz Sobowiec, General Manager of Face Consultants Poland, based in Wrocław, explains why industrial floor surveys are important both in Poland and around the rest of the world.

The quality of industrial flooring in the warehouse is as important for racking systems as is the foundation or the ceiling for any building structure. It must safely and without significant deformations transfer the loads to the ground.

More and more high-bay warehouses are now needed in Poland, with over 2.2 million sq. m of warehouse space being under construction in 2020, and locations such as Kraków, Tricity, and Szczecin growing in importance as logistics hubs, according to global real estate providers Knight Frank ( https://content.knightfrank.com/research/2021/documents/en/poland-warehouse-market-q1-2020-7284.pdf).

When high storage racking is required in such VNA warehouses, we must bear in mind two important issues:

1. Multi-ton pressure on the floor concentrated on a very small area, which must be considered when designing.
2. Flatness of the floor to meet relevant standards (TR34, VDMA, DIN15185 or others) and ensure optimum efficiency and safe operation of the warehouse.

Warehouse Floor Design and Execution

Whilst the correct design of a floor to meet the strength requirements should not be a problem for an experienced designer, the subsequent execution of the floor, especially its flatness and levelness, can frequently deviate from the requirements of the chosen standard.

VNA Floor Flatness Surveys

Before the assembly of VNA storage racks, it is necessary to survey the floor flatness to check it has met compliance with the relevant standard. Due to the very restrictive requirements of standards, the survey must be performed extremely accurately, which is where modern and precise surveying devices such as the Face Digital Profileograph come into their forte.

Face Digital Profileograph

The Face Digital Profileograph works perfectly, regardless of which standard is used, as it can be properly adapted to meet any. Only by conducting such surveys can we answer the question of whether the use of high storage racks with narrow aisles will be possible on the floor, and whether forklift trucks will be able to operate within them safely and with optimum efficiency.

We must remember that even small defects in the flatness of the floor can cause the mast of the forklift to lean when the lifting height increases.

What to do when the floor in your warehouse does not meet the requirements of the flatness standard?

If the floor doesn’t meet the correct floor flatness requirements, many warehouse owners and managers will opt for the seemingly cheapest solution, namely limiting the speed of forklifts. However, by not wanting to incur the costs of repairing the floor and adjusting it to the requirements of the standard, they risk not only a drastic reduction in work efficiency but also an increased probability of accidents where warehouse employees could get injured or stored goods damaged.

According to the Polish Central Statistical Office report, “Accidents at work in 2019”, 6885 people were injured within the Transportation and Storage work sector, including 33 people injured in fatal accidents. Drivers and Mobile Plant Operators accounted for 2417 of these, and estimated material losses caused by accidents at work in this section amounted to 45 155 900.00 PLN.

VNA trucks moving on a floor that does not meet the flatness standards will also be left exposed to mechanical damage and therefore, higher repair costs. When we add up all these risk costs, this solution no longer seems to be the cheapest anymore.

The best solution – Grind it right!

The best solution in this situation is to grind the floor, ensuring full compliance with the flatness standard. This task should be performed by specialists using the best equipment available on the market. Companies such as Concrete Grinding Ltd with their most advanced laser-guided floor grinding system – Laser Grinder® – will meet all customer expectations and provide the highest quality, regardless of whether we are dealing with a new or existing floor. It is a clean, quick, and very effective way of achieving the desired level of floor flatness while offering little or no disruption to the ongoing warehouse activities.

Choosing the right specialists for both industrial floor flatness surveys and grinding your warehouse floor to the correct specification will lead to a safer and less stressful work environment.

Read this article in Polish

przeczytaj ten artykuł w języku polskim

Bartosz Sobowiec

Bartosz Sobowiec graduated from Wrocław University of Science and Technology and, after a brief venture into the world of food and beverages, joined Face Consultants based in the UK as a Surveyor. When the opportunity arose to establish an office in Poland, Bartosz was promoted to General Manager for Face Consultants Sp. z o.o.

Contact Bartosz and his team today or follow us on LinkedIn:
Bartosz Sobowiec - LinkedIn
Face Consultants - LinkedIn

The post Industrial Floor Surveys in Poland appeared first on CoGri Group Ltd.

The post Industrial Floor Surveys in Poland appeared first on Face Consultants.

Face Consultants’ Operations & Quality Manager Duane Scarfe explains how the Face Profileograph has evolved, from the first ground-breaking model to its modern-day manifestation as a laser guided, multi-functional, ‘All in One’ Profileograph.

First Face Profileograph

In 1977 the first FACE Profileograph was built. Designed to check floors in narrow aisle warehouses, the self-propelled analogue Profileograph was the first practical instrument for large scale floor surveys and was the key tool in the development of modern ‘Superflat’ floor technology.

This device was used to check compliance with the American F Number system (F min) and could also be used to check compliance with The Concrete Society’s Technical Report No 34 from the UK (2003 Third Edition).

The First Digital Profileograph

In June 2002 Face Consultants Ltd developed and built the first Digital Profileograph to check Table 4.3 of TR34 (Third Edition) closely followed by the long wheelbase profileograph to check Appendix C of TR34, as well as American F min and Din 15185. With the new digital Profileographs different bodies had to be used to check different standards with the relevant auxiliary equipment attached.

The First ‘All in One’ Digital Profileograph

In December 2009, the first ‘All in One’ (AIO) digital Profileograph was developed. This meant that any Profileograph body could be used to check any Defined Movement standard with the relevant auxiliary equipment attached.

Checking Surface Regularity for Automated Systems

Today Face Consultants Ltd (part of the CoGri Group of companies) have developed a laser guided Profileograph to measure 6 properties of floor flatness within a single pass along the floor, when checking surface regularity for Robotic systems in E Commerce Warehouse Fulfilment Centres.

The latest Face All In One Profileograph also has additional auxiliary attachments which can be used to measure TR34, EN 15620, DIN 15185, VDMA, FEM and the ACI F min surface regularity specifications.

Facing the Future

To this day instruments to measure the flatness of Defined Movement floors and floors designed for automated warehouses, continue to be developed in-house through CoGri Engineering Ltd, founded in 2019 to continue the work first started by Face Consultants.

Defined Movement Floor Surveys

Face Consultants are independent experts in the measurement of floor flatness for narrow aisle, very narrow aisle, and automated warehouses.

With many years’ experience and the latest digital floor profilers for accurate results, please get in touch for free advice and to arrange a floor test.

Duane Scarfe

Duane Scarfe is the Operations & Quality Manager of Face Consultants Ltd Testing Division. He has 38 years’ experience in the construction industry, with 24 of those years spent at Face Consultants. Duane is passionate about the testing of floors, and is also a full member of the UK Slip Resistance Group, which is a world leading independent authority on the slip resistance of Pedestrian surfaces.

Contact Duane and his team today or follow us on LinkedIn:
Duane Scarfe - LinkedIn
Face Consultants - LinkedIn

The post Testing for Floor Flatness – Evolution of the Face Profileograph appeared first on CoGri Group Ltd.

The post Testing for Floor Flatness – Evolution of the Face Profileograph appeared first on Face Consultants.

Face Consultants Australia PTY LTD are currently involved with the construction of the first multi-storey robotics fulfilment centre being built in Sydney, Australia. The largest of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere at close to 200,000 SQM, it is also the largest warehouse to be constructed in Australia, capable of holding up to 11 million items.

Automated Warehouse Floor Specialists

Face Consultants Australia have been engaged by Goodman Property Group, the developers of the project, to oversee the facility’s floor design and construction. Face has carried out a detail review of the slab design, providing valuable guidance in the constructability as well as supplying on-site Q&A supervision during the construction. Face will also be carrying out independent surveying of the slab post-construction utilising their accurate digital Profileograph equipment.

In conjunction with this, CoGri Australia will be doing the corrective grinding to bring the floor into tolerance.

Extensive Global Experience

Face Consultants extensive global experience with multi-storey warehouses, combined with CoGri’s knowledge of slab rectification, means we are the perfect partner for Goodman to deliver the project to their clients very specific requirements.

Contact us today to find out how we can help.

The post Multi-Level Automated Warehouse, Sydney, Australia appeared first on CoGri Group Ltd.

The post Multi-Level Automated Warehouse, Sydney, Australia appeared first on Face Consultants.

Face Middle East have successfully completed the design and supervision of a 6,000m² industrial flooring project in Dubai South.

High Tolerance Concrete Floors

Face Middle East have once again supported Al Avon General Contracting on a project requiring a high tolerance floor where both Defined and Free Movement flatness classifications were essential for the safe and efficient operation of the facility.

With a reputation as one of the market leaders in the design and construction of VNA warehouses, Al Avon’s mutual relationship with Face Middle East stretches back over a decade, with both parties bringing their expertise to the table for the ultimate benefit of the end user, a document storage services provider.

On-site support and Quality Control/Testing

Face were on-site for each day of casting and also tested the previous days’ slab(s) for flatness compliance. Having Face on site ensured that performance was consistently monitored; the levels were accurate, the concrete mix quality and consistency was maintained, and that all good working practices were adhered to throughout the construction process each day.

Design Compliant Floor

Finally, everyone involved with the project can be assured that they have a design compliant floor that will perform for many years without issue. Face see the floor as the tabletop on which the entire warehouse operates. Without a “fit for purpose” floor, all other elements of the warehouse operation (racking, Materials Handling Equipment and in-aisle guidance systems) will not operate as intended and at their optimum levels.

Project Details

Need to know more?

Face Middle East specialise in the design, on site contractor support/consultancy, and testing of industrial concrete floors for Free and Defined Movement operations, to the latest international standards, whether TR34, DIN or the American F number specifications.

Contact us today for free advice and discover how we can add value to projects such as this one.

The post A High Tolerance Concrete Flooring Collaboration appeared first on CoGri Group Ltd.

The post A High Tolerance Concrete Flooring Collaboration appeared first on Face Consultants.

Buckingham Group Contracting are a highly established Main/Principal Contractor, providing a range of stand-alone or fully integrated services in Civil Engineering, Building, Sports & Leisure, Demolition, Land Remediation/Restoration, and Rail.

SR2 Classification

We carried out testing to check compliance with the SR2 Classification which is found in BS 8204-2:2003 + A2:2011.

This is a straight edge standard which asks for a maximum permissible gap of no more than 5mm under a 2-metre straightedge. The testing was carried out successfully and a fully comprehensive report was issued.

Duane Scarfe, Operations Manager for Face Consultants Ltd said: “As a keen gardener myself, it was great being called in to check that the new floor at RHS Garden Wisley had been laid to the required surface regularity (flatness) standards. Although a relatively small job for us, it was just as important as some of the other larger floors that we are involved in, on large distribution centres for example which can be anything up to 100,000m2”.

A lot of our floor testing is carried out using state of the art, specialised flatness testing equipment (which is manufactured in house). Testing can be carried out on floors where high bay order pickers are operating, or even more frequently these days, where robotic systems are used in e-commerce fulfilment warehouses.

We frequently carry out straight edge tests to current British Standards for other retail and commercial environments.

The post Growing the British Standards appeared first on Face Consultants.

Essential Robotics Floor Testing for E-commerce Fulfilment

The ‘Face All in One Profileograph’ measures 6 properties of floor flatness within a single pass along the floor. Additional auxiliary attachments can be used to measure TR34 DM, EN 15620:2008*, DIN 15185, VDMA, FEM and the ACI F min surface regularity specifications.

Floor Flatness Testing Technology

Face Consultants continue to lead the way in floor flatness testing technology and are at the forefront of testing for Goods to Person Robotics. We provide testing services for the ever-increasing number of E-commerce warehouse fulfilment centres around the globe using Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMR’s), or automated storage and retrieval systems (ASRS).

We have been instrumental in developing floor flatness standards and methods of compliance for well-known technologies such as Very Narrow Aisle operations. More recently however, the ongoing upsurge in internet shopping means that our expertise has been called upon by both the Robotics manufacturers and the E-commerce giants who use them.

By understanding the working parameters of the robotics equipment, Face Consultants are able to provide a set of clearly specified working performance characteristics to the construction industry. These defined characteristics can then be followed and delivered; enabling optimum robotics performance in E-commerce warehouses and fulfilment centres when increased efficiency and productivity has never been needed more.

Where possible we still try to embrace current standards that are understood and methods of testing that exist, but a clear method of compliance checking is being drafted so there are no ambiguities or misunderstandings by all the stakeholders involved.

The Leaders in Floor Flatness Measurement

Contact Face Consultants on 01484 600090 for further details on warehouse floor testing for robotics, or any other services we provide.

The post Leading The Way In Floor Flatness Testing For Robotics appeared first on Face Consultants.

The trade fair is to be held at the Bangkok International Trade and Exhibition Centre in Hall 98, Stand J34. Come and say hello!

The TILOG Logistix show is the leading international trade fair for logistics service providers, intralogistics technologies and solutions. The previous show in 2018 welcomed 8000 trade visitors from across 49 countries with 416 exhibitors focusing on multiple sectors which included Material Handling, Packaging, Warehouse & Loading, Logistic IT/ Telematics and Communication, Transport & Logistics Service.

FACE Consultants S.E.A are looking forward to exhibiting at TILOG Logistix and connecting with new and existing clients to showcase our floor testing equipment which is manufactured in-house and discuss the services we have to offer.

Our services include:

• Floor Flatness Surveying and Testing
• Floor Design, Review and Consultancy

We also offer specialised testing for automated storage and retrieval systems (AS/RS), automatic guided vehicles (AGV) and the robotics sectors.

TILOG Logistix is just one of a number of trade shows that CoGri Group will be exhibiting at in 2019. Visit their exhibition calendar for details of the other exhibitions you can see them at this year.

You can register for TILOG Logistix 2019 by clicking here, and if you require any more information about the services of Face Consultants S.E.A, contact them on +65 6500 4670 or email them at info@face-consultants.com.sg.

The post Face South East Asia To Exhibit At TILOG Logistix 2019 appeared first on Face Consultants.

CoGri Middle East and Face Consultants Middle East are delighted to be returning to exhibit at the Materials Handling Middle East show which will take place over 3 days from Tuesday 3 September to Thursday 5 September 2019.

The exhibition is to be held at the Dubai International Convention & Exhibition Centre in Hall 2, Stand B10 for CoGri Middle East and C10 for Face Consultants Middle East. Come and say hello!

The Materials Handling Middle East show is the regions leading international trade fair for intralogistics, warehouse and supply chain solutions. The previous edition welcomed 3,448 trade visitors from across 57 countries with 126 exhibitors focusing on multiple dynamic sectors which included Logistics & Supply chain, Retail, FMCG, Automotive, Oil & Gas and Pharmaceuticals, showcasing products and solutions that improve their productivity and efficiency. It’s a show not to be missed!

“With the 2017 show being a success we are looking forward to exhibiting this year and connecting with old and new clients. Attending international shows gives us the opportunity to speak with a wider audience and discuss our complete range of industrial flooring services.” says Tom Hanks, General Manager of CoGri Middle East.

Tom added: “The flooring services we can offer include floor construction, floor repair and refurbishment, very narrow aisle grinding, installation of VNA wire guidance systems, design, testing and floor flatness surveying. We also offer specialised testing for automated storage and retrieval systems (AS/RS), automatic guided vehicles (AGV) and robotics sectors”.

Materials Handling is just one of a number of trade shows that CoGri Group will be exhibiting at in 2019. Visit their exhibition calendar for details of the other exhibitions you can see them at this year.

You can get your tickets to Materials Handling 2019 by clicking here, and if you require any more information about the services of CoGri Group, contact them on +44 (0) 1484 600080, or email them at info@cogrigroup.com.

The post CoGri & Face Middle East To Exhibit At Materials Handling 2019 appeared first on Face Consultants.

Come and say hello in Hall 10, Stand A21. The doors to the show open at 9am each day, closing to visitors at 5pm.

“As a regular exhibitor, we are looking forward to attending LogiMAT again this year and connecting with old and new clients to discuss our complete range of industrial flooring services” says Paul Altham, Director of Concrete Grinding Ltd.

Paul added “The exhibition has grown over the years and has attendees from all over the world, which being an international company is very important for us.”

Duane Scarfe, Operations and Quality Manager for Face Consultants said: “Attending the show gives us a chance to explain face to face, the services that we can offer including floor compliance checking for all, very narrow aisle (defined movement) and wide aisle or open area (free movement) operations, as well as other, very specialised testing services for the automated storage and retrieval systems (AS/RS), automatic guided vehicles (AGV) and robotics sectors”.

“We also offer a full, floor design and quality assurance service.”

Duane added: “Servicing the end user, materials handling equipment (MHE), robotics, AGV’s, AS/RS suppliers and specialist flooring contractors, we truly understand the requirements of one and the capabilities of the other”.

LogiMAT is just one of a number of trade shows that CoGri Group will be exhibiting at in 2019. Visit their exhibition calendar for details of the other exhibitions you can see them at this year.

You can get your tickets to LogiMAT 2019 by clicking here, and if you require any more information about the services of CoGri Group, contact them on +44 (0) 1484 600080, or email them at info@cogrigroup.com.

The post CoGri Group returns to exhibit at LogiMAT 2019 appeared first on Face Consultants.

This is the first work for the major online retailer that has been carried out in Australia. CoGri and Face Consultants have been extremely busy working for our Client all over other parts of the world, assisting them with their extraordinary and impressive expansion plans.

The Client’s operation in Australia has generated a lot of excitement amongst its Australian citizens but it has also been met with resistance and fears by the existing retail industry as they know the impact this online retailer has had in other parts of the world through its excellent e-commerce service it provides. e-commerce is literally changing the logistics industry with automation being a major part of that change. Australia is certainly excited by the services the Client has to offer including its renowned next day guaranteed premium service.

The existing 40,000 SQM warehouse, located at Moorebank just outside of Sydney, was originally occupied by Ikea and is ideally suited for our Client with its easy access to the West and East of Sydney via the M5 and M7 motorways.

The upgrade to the existing Ikea warehouse involved Face Australia surveying the floor for both free movement and defined movement traffic. CoGri then mobilised the Laser Grinder® to grind the floor to meet the narrow aisle Fmin75 flatness specification. Prior to Laser Grinding, 50m of steel PT joint had to be removed and the floor repaired. In the East warehouse, where Ikea originally operated narrow aisle trucks, and which was originally Laser Ground by CoGri some 10 years ago, the aisles will be filled using CoGri’s specialised pump screed to bring the floor back for general purpose use.

Working to extremely tight deadlines, CoGri was put under pressure but managed to achieve all the necessary deadlines, whilst producing exceptionally high-quality work to meet the demands of our Client’s new warehouse operation. CoGri was proud to have been involved in such a prestigious and important project that utilised many different concrete skills and expertise.

The post Online Retailer Expands To The Land Of Oz appeared first on Face Consultants.

Halo is a new venture from of one of Europe’s leading fruit importers which will be integrated within DP World London Gateway’s Port ensuring the reduction of waste, cost, maintaining sustainable supply chain alongside the increase in fresher produce.

Duane Scarfe, Operations & Quality Manager for Face Consultants Ltd said, “we carried out surveying and testing of the 10,000m2 floor slab which consisted of a Surface Regularity survey to check compliance with the FM2 classification which is found in the Concrete Society’s Technical Report No 34 (Fourth Edition).”

“We also carried out specialised Accelerated Abrasion Resistance Tests in accordance with BS 13892 – 4:2002 to check compliance with the AR1 Classification which is found in BS 8204-2:2003 + A2: 2011. This type of test is carried out to determine if the floor is durable to cope with different kinds of mechanisms on its surface such as vehicle wheels, foot traffic, scraping and impact.”

“We were able to complete the Free Movement test within three days and the AART in one day when the floor was 28 days old. We presented our findings back to Konfloor that proved that the required tolerances had been achieved”.

Face Consultants offer different types of testing. If you want a test at your premises, or to discuss the other floor services that Face Consultants have to offer, contact them on +(0)1484 600090, or email info@face-consultants.com.

The post Face Returns To DP World appeared first on Face Consultants.

A warehouse floor is often the last consideration in a business whether this is a new build being considered or an existing facility being leased, when in fact it should be one of the first items that should be addressed.

The warehouse floor is the table top on which the business operates and the consequences of a ‘bad floor’ can be costly to our clients, in this case DHL. This can lead to a loss of productivity, damage to MHE (material handling equipment), increased floor and forklift truck maintenance and issues with occupational health and safety. Furthermore, a bad floor could impact on future business requirements if the floor cannot be adapted to meet changes in the ever-evolving logistics industry, such as the implementation of automation, the cost can be significant.

What is a ‘bad floor?’

A bad floor does not necessarily mean one that is old; it could in fact be one that is being designed and constructed today. In fact, an older floor, of say 20 years, could well be one of DHL’s best, and far better than one constructed last week.

Concrete floors have evolved over the years driven by better knowledge, research and development of concrete and reinforcement, as well as new technology used to construct the floors, but new developments have also introduced issues.

DHL found that the performance of the concrete floors was not what they expected and this was impacting on their operations. It was also having a financial impact on the business and they needed to address the apparent shortcomings with their floors.

Bringing in the experts

After experiencing some poor warehouse floors and seeing the construction industry “race to the bottom” to save time and money, DHL took a completely different view of the way their floors were going to be designed and constructed. They were introduced to Face Consultants, our world leading commercial and industrial concrete floor design, surveying and testing company. Face Consultants are part of the CoGri Group, specialists in the construction and repair of concrete slabs across the globe.

Tania Melikian, Head of Corporate Real Estate Oceania at DHL said “Part of the attraction of Face Consultants is their unique approach to concrete floors; as their understanding does not stop at the design and construction stage. Through their own experience and involvement with various governing bodies in the logistics sector, they understand how the floor interacts with the operation that performs on it. It’s a wholistic approach to the design and construction of concrete floors, which is combined with unparalleled advice on maintaining the floor throughout its lifecycle.”

“We initially engaged Face Consultants to review and update our existing concrete floor specification. It was vitally important to get the specification right and this is what FACE delivered. Almost, 70% of potential issues can be eliminated before a single batch of concrete is poured. The remaining 30% comes down to the contractors and simple detailing on site during construction.”

“During detailed design we conduct a peer review involving all parties involved in the process from the developer, structural engineer, concrete supplier and concrete contractor. All parties discuss the design, expectations around detailing and how to proactively manage any issues that occur during the placement. This is invaluable and it amazes me how much value all stakeholders take from this process.”

“Furthermore, Face Consultants are onsite supervising every pour, ensuring consistent quality during the construction process. Their engineer providing on site supervision every day and catching the many small errors that can be overlooked when a concrete pour is in full flight. A huge impact to the quality of the outcome for little cost.”

“The results of our involvement with Face Consultants has produced noticeable improvements in the quality of our warehouse floors, which was quickly recognised by developers. Through our partnership with Face Consultants, it has significantly helped change the way floors are designed and constructed in Australia and our specification is considered “Best Practice” by the development community. DHL has helped influence Australia’s largest developers to adopt our new concrete specification and adopt Face Consultants as a trusted advisor,” says Tania Melikian.

Face Consultants via CoGri Group are a preferred contractor for the repair of slabs for many of DHL’s Landlords given our proven track record.

Now with warehouse automation starting to become more prevalent, it has never been more evident to understand the requirements of DHL’s warehouse floors. As a result, DHL Australia moves towards the next exciting ‘era of the logistic industry’. They continue to innovate through the investment in their industrial floors after all, DHL’s growth depends on it.

The post Concrete Floors: RIGHT FIRST TIME appeared first on Face Consultants.

Access World Logistics, a joint venture with UAE based Rais Hassan Saadi (RHS), a shipping and freight related service provider, have begun to develop the multi-product warehousing facility in Jebel Ali Free Zone, Dubai. This is scheduled to be commissioned during 2nd quarter 2018.

The development is being constructed at a strategically located plot of 40,000m2. This includes a contemporary warehouse storage with Very Narrow Aisle (VNA) racking systems covering 15,000m2 of floor space, featuring 39 aisles at 67m long. Face Middle East FZC were commissioned by Al Avon Contracting to design, survey and test the warehouse storage.

Our Approach

For the floor design, the ‘wide bay’ method was adopted. This entails installing a ‘starter’ panel of around 9m in width at the building / chamber perimeters, then infilling the space between with a number of formed panels of around 12-14m in width, to the full length of the racking. This gives the Flooring Contractor reachable access to the panel from both sides during casting, so extra work can be carried out with the bull float to allow an enhanced control over the slab levels during construction and a better flatness at ‘first hit’, all whilst maintaining superior output over the long-strip method. As well as benefits to the build programme, the ‘wide bay’ method goes some way towards significantly reducing the overall amount of grinding required to meet the desired flatness classification.

The floor flatness within the aisles is DM2 classification, as per Table 3.2 of TR34 – 4th Edition, whilst all transfer areas are FM2 classification to Table 3.1. Once the racking is installed, CoGri Middle East will Laser Grind using the Laser Grinder system. This is a very accurate method of controlled remedial grinding; the process is dust free and gives guaranteed results.

Tom Hanks, Face Middle East FZC General Manager said “We have worked on many projects with Al Avon Contracting over the past eight years. Not only do they lay good quality floors, they always come to Face Middle East FZC to design the floor slabs on their high tolerance industrial design and build projects. Once the project is underway we will then go back to the site to oversee the construction, ensure quality and compliance to the floor design. The design of any floor here in the Middle East will be provided by our design team in the UK and is covered under the Face global PI insurance policy, giving ultimate protection to the Client with GBP 5 million cover for 10 years”.

Expert Advice

The Laser Screed / Laser Grind approach offers the benefit of a faster build programme when compared to the traditional long strip method. The floor is constructed to a high level of compliance with the relevant flatness specification. The Laser Grinding is then undertaken off critical path for the overall project and can be completed before, during or after racking is installed.

During the construction process, Face Middle East monitor all aspects of the site activity to ensure that all variables are controlled.

These can include:

• Sub base level
• Formwork position, alignment and level
• Steel mesh placement, lap and fixation
• Slip membrane placement and fixation
• Concrete delivery time, slump, temperature, discharge start and stop times
• Levels achieved by and laser guided construction equipment
• Ensuring best working practices are observed
• Concrete setting times
• Finishing / power trowel working practices
• Curing regime
• Saw cutting of control joints, depth, position and timing
• Flatness testing of previous days slab to monitor what is being achieved

This all reduces the amount of grinding required and ensures that a top-quality floor slab is produced.

The post Access World To Develop Third Party Logistics (3PL) Facility In Dubai appeared first on Face Consultants.

Face Consultants were instructed by the Flooring Contractor, Stanford Flooring, to provide design and surveying services for the retail park’s first phase development, which included several well-known high street retailers such as M&S, House of Fraser, Primark and Next.

The Design

The design of the floor was relatively complex. Spread across three buildings, the 28 units presented a unique set of challenges in terms of project management. Although working directly through Stanford Flooring, Face Consultants essentially had 28 Clients, each with their own expectations, requirements and standards.

For two of the buildings, a mesh reinforced, ground supported slab design was adopted, with sawn induced joints at nominal 6m centres, whilst the third building had a pile supported, ‘jointless’ slab, reinforced with 45kg/m3 of steel fibres. As is often the case, Face Consultants worked with the Project Engineering team on the finalised pile layout in order to meet an optimum cost balance between pile spans / total pile count and the slab thickness.

The design, carried out in line with guidance from The Concrete Society’s Technical Report 34 (TR34), was only really finalised once the last pour was completed, as a number of late changes driven by Tenant requirements meant that the Face Consultants team had to remain fully flexible and respond swiftly to ensure that no programme delays were encountered by late design variations.

The Surveying

Following the construction of the slabs, the units were surveyed and checked for compliance with the FM2 classification of TR34, however several units also had their own bespoke level surveys and straight edge testing requirements.

Across these units, Face Consultants surveyed a total ground floor area of approximately 16,000m2.

Duane Scarfe Operations and Quality Manager said: “This is the 14th Retail Park with multiple units in the UK, that Face Consultants have surveyed and provided testing services on in 2017 and up to present in 2018, with two more in the North of England currently nearing completion.”

Floor surface regularity should be checked and validated, to ensure that the required tolerances have been achieved. This is essential for both the end users requirements and also to show that contract compliance has been met.

The post Face Consultants Completes Design and Surveying at Rushden Lakes appeared first on Face Consultants.

Whilst Face Consultants have always been busy in this market, growth over the previous two to three years has seen quite a dramatic upturn and the decision to recruit staff specifically to undertake the inspections and supervision was quite easy.

As the Logistics industry develops, key Stakeholders are becoming much more aware of the importance of the floor as the final working platform for warehouse operations. Because of this, it is becoming more and more common for the Developer / Funder / Tenant to include within the Base Build Specification, a requirement for specialist On-Site Supervision for the slab construction works as an additional layer of protection against potential issues.

Pre-construction Critical Review

Face Consultants offer a variety of services that can aid improvement of the works, starting at pre-construction stage with a critical review of the structural slab design and construction details, analysis of the concrete mix design and an overall compliance check against the Base Specification, through to the development of a Quality, Inspection and Testing plan, attendance at Design Team meetings, pre-pour checks of the preparation and either part or full-time attendance on site during works.

“It is encouraging that the industry as a whole is now seeing the true value in employing Face Consultants to undertake these specific services, rather than viewing it as a contractual obligation to be discharged, as was sometimes the case in previous years”, says Christopher Linley, Design Manager for Face Consultants Ltd, “It is not by accident that we are employed directly by some of the giants of the development, logistics and e-commerce industries to ensure that the performance and operational aspects of their facilities are front and centre of consideration when it comes to the design and construction of the floor”.

Extensive Knowledge

Face Consultants are set aside from our competition through the fact that, as well as being responsible for the design of millions of square meters of industrial floor design per year globally, we have extensive knowledge of construction methods, challenges and details through our partnerships with our CoGri Group colleagues. The Consulting services we undertake also give us a unique insight into the dilapidation, damage and failure of existing industrial floors, and gives us the knowledge and experience to advise on ways to prevent these issues occurring in new builds.

The post Face Consultants’ Proactive Approach To Developing Industry appeared first on Face Consultants.

A complete reconfiguration of their racking system and installation of the latest in vertical storage and automation technology from Kardex has delivered incredible efficiencies and additional storage capacity for our client.

Installation of the Vertical Carousel and Shuttle System was a compelling investment by improving productivity and throughput, whilst increasing storage capacity and significantly reducing the footprint required to store the stock. The extra space available enabled additional racking to be installed including VNA (very narrow aisle) racking, further increasing capacity.

With all the additional storage, demands on the floor quickly became a problem. The existing warehouse is an old facility dating back around 50 years and the slab was never designed to take the loads of the Kardex System or the condensed racking configuration.

Face Consultants were contacted to assess the floor loading capabilities, this involved taking core samples, running laboratory tests on the cores to determine the compressive strength and then analysing the results against the requirements of the racking and Kardex systems. In addition, a Profileograph (floor profiler) survey was carried out to review the slab for suitability for VNA use.

The results of the tests revealed slab thicknesses ranged between 120mm to 150mm with varying compressive strengths. The short fall in structural capacity of the floor was a major set-back for our client. The option to completely demolish and rebuild a new slab was seriously considered but the cost of construction and the significant disruption it would cause the business quickly ruled it out.

Face Consultants were asked to provide a solution that would not impact operations or the critical deadline for installation of Kardex system.

The Solution

In other parts of the world, Face has designed (and through our contracting division, CoGri) they have constructed and upgraded hundreds of warehouse floors. Drawing on our global experience, Face proposed cutting and removing two sections of floor to upgrade the slab to take the loads of Kardex Carousel and Shuttle System, using a Face designed slab.

Where the majority of the VNA racking and wide aisle racking was to be installed, Face Consultants designed concrete plinths to sit on top of the slab to which the racking would then be fixed. It sounds like a brilliantly simple solution to a potential expensive demolition and reconstruction job, but it was far more complicated than just building a slab-on-slab. For one, the floor levels in some sections were out by as much as 60mm across a construction joint, and you then need to consider how the MHE would need to operate with the new plinth to name just a couple of challenges. This was all before you had to consider construction of the plinths themselves, in a fully operational warehouse with limited access. This is where CoGri Australia was introduced to provide the required expertise to deliver the solution.

Additional Challenge

With the loading issue sorted for the racking and the Carousel and Shuttle System, assessment of the floor for the VNA racking revealed another issue. Analysis of the flatness showed the floor was not suitable for the safe operation of the very narrow aisle MHE (material handling equipment), for the heights they will be required to operate. A simple and effective solution would have been to laser grind the floor using CoGri’s patented Laser Grinder® technology, however, to achieve the F-min flatness specification would mean grinding as much as 15-20mm off the floor in some areas, and whilst this is common and easily achieved using the Laser Grinder®, the already thin floor could not be reduced any further. Even though the racking had been upgraded to take the new loads, reducing the thickness of the VNA slab where the MHE would operate in the aisles was not possible.

Industrial Grade Floor Screed

Despite Laser Grinding being the ultimate upgrade to a floor for VNA use, the only solution left available was to apply an industrial grade screed system. Upgrading a floor to meet the Fmin VNA flatness specification using a screed system is not as simple as just pouring a self-smoothing (often, and wrongly, referred to as self-levelling) screed; because simply laying a self-smoothing screed to a floor without consideration of the flatness levels required will not guarantee the floor will meet the specification. Furthermore, some screed systems can introduce static build-up, and with repetitive traffic along the defined path, they can wear resulting it tracks in the floor, and there is also risk of the screed delaminating. Ultimately, though, a self-smoothing screed would not meet the flatness specification for VNA use.

Through Face and CoGri’s extensive experience in super-flat floors, the screed system was laid to the required F-min flatness tolerance. A survey was taken of the floor using a precise optical level and PPM (Precision Plate Micrometre), the results analysed and then a flatness profile was then plotted on the floor using a series of screws adjusted precisely to meet the F-min specification. The screed was then poured and carefully finished to the new flatness profile and checked for compliance.

CoGri’s FASTFLOOR-IT Screed System is a unique cementitious pump screed used to upgrade industrial floors for all types of use, and with an abrasion resistance rating exceeding AR1, wearing risk of the surface is almost totally eliminated.

Additional Repairs

Across the remaining floor area, through years of use, many of the floor joints were in need of repair. Cracks, joint repairs and spall damage was repaired by CoGri, including additional joint repairs to the external slab that connected the existing warehouse and to a recent extension.

Overall, Face Consultants and CoGri Australia was able to provide our client with a low impact, reduced cost solution to upgrade their floor to install the latest automated equipment and condensed racking configuration to meet their logistical operational needs for years to come.

Summary of Services Provided

• Slab Loading Capability
• Flatness Testing
• Slab Design
• Slab Demolition and Construction
• Installation of Industrial Screed System for VNA use
• Concrete joint repairs, joint resealing, crack and spall repairs

The post Technological Logistics Upgrade Delivers Impressive Results appeared first on Face Consultants.

Face Consultants are well known for their flooring expertise, and were brought in to look at the tiles on four different platforms during daytime hours.

“We’re often contacted to test a floor after an incident, or when there have been complaints of an area being slippy” said Duane Scarfe, Operations and Quality Manager for Face Consultants. “But in this case it was good practice by the railway company asking us to come in before an incident, rather than reacting to something. It shows good due diligence on their part.”

While the UK railway is the safest in Europe, the rail network has been looking at an initiative to enhance passenger safety in stations.  Their stats show that in 2012-13 over 1,600 slips and trips happened in their stations. Their pro-active approach, along with Face Consultants’ involvement is obviously a sign of their commitment to this.

Arrival

“We arrived on site and following our induction and walk around with the client, four locations on different platforms were selected to perform the tests on” Mr Scarfe said. “We did three tests in three directions in a dry state, and a further three in a wet state using potable water as a contaminant.”

He added: “We followed the same process across all four platforms, and managed to do the work within six hours.  All platforms were open and operational during the time we were there so it was essential that we cordoned off the locations, making sure our working area was highly visible.  As a result, passengers were able to navigate around us easily and safely.”

Face Consultants then created a report for the rail company. This allows them to determine if any action needs to be taken in any of the tested areas.  And with over 24 million passengers passing through the station each year, they’re taking the safety of a lot of people very seriously.

Slip Resistance Tests

Contact Face Consultants today to discuss all their services, including slip resistance tests, surveys and more. (0)1484 600090, or email them at info@face-consultants.com.

The post First Class Slip Resistance Testing appeared first on Face Consultants.

Recently, they were called in to an automotive plant near Setubal, Portugal to perform quality assurance and survey for a new extension that was being built by a well known car manufacturer.

“We need to look at a lot of things when we’re asked to oversee the floor construction” said Dominic Baylis, Senior Surveyor for Face Consultants. “Not only do we need to consider the floor, but also take in to account factors such as the environment, the weather, the equipment being  used and protection to the rest of the building whilst work is going on.”

This particular job saw Dom begin by performing a Sub-Base survey, which ensures that the floor is built at the right level and to the right tolerance. Dom said: “I needed to make sure that the tolerance level +0/-15mm was met, positive readings above zero are not permitted as these will directly affect the thickness of the slab.”  Wet spots, level of final trim and irregularities are looked at, before any work can go ahead.

Dom added: “Then, before I assess things such as joints, reinforcement and the isolation details, I need to check the weather proofing in the building. Is the roof on? Are the doors shut? If there’s no doors, is there temporary protection in place that keeps the elements out?”

But whilst the floor was being constructed, a roofing contractor was busy constructing the roof, using cherry pickers and other materials handling equipment to hamper the floor build.

“We had to be a bit flexible when it came to other contractors being on site!” Dom told us. “It’s not ideal when you’re building a floor and there’s a vehicle in the way helping to put up a roof!  But we work with other contractors who are on site, rather than against them – so despite this being a bit of an obstacle we overcame it soon enough.”

Using a laser screed and topping spreader, the final concrete pour takes place on 11^th December, and Dom will return to make sure the floor meets the DIN18202 standard, as requested by the German customer, with the unit being fully operational in early 2016.

Contact Face Consultants on +44 (0)1422 600090 to discuss your floor construction needs, or send them an enquiry here.

The post Worldwide Quality Assured appeared first on Face Consultants.

With the idea of gradually changing the way people thought about the industry, Face Consultants China shared its expertise on the latest design concept, consultancy and up-to-date floor testing method with visitors and exhibitors at the show.

Visitors gathered to discuss common flooring defects in China, and the Face team patiently and expertly explained each question and pointed out that performance based specification and modern design before construction is critical.

Those who came on to the stand were interested in the unique testing methods and equipment brought in by Face Consultants China, as more owners ask for state-of-the-art and on-site flooring testing solutions.

During the three-day show, Face Consultants China was popular with visitors and exhibitors, and gathered significant attention with many quality enquiries.

Contact Face Consultants China on +86-21-5210 2903, or drop them a message here

The post Face Consultants China Expo 2015 – Show Stoppers! appeared first on Face Consultants.

“You see pictures of aircraft hangars and they look big” said Duane Scarfe, Operations and Quality Manager for Face Consultants.  “In actual fact, they’re huge and quite an imposing building when you get up to them.”

Its dimensions are massive, measuring 247m long, 84m wide, and 55m high.  Built during the First World War for Airship construction, one of the sheds at Cardington is now the set of some of Warner Bros. biggest film hits such as Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises and Inception.  The other has been refurbished to house the Airlander, a huge airship that will fulfil a wide range of communication, cargo carrying and survey roles in both the military and commercial sectors all with a significantly lower carbon footprint than other forms of air transport.

“The contractor who laid the floor contacted us in relation to the floor in Hangar one” said Duane. “With the history of the building, and the importance of getting the Airlander in the air, it’s a very important job which needed professional attention.”

He added: “They needed to replace the five acre floor, and contacted us to carry out a free movement survey to a floor area of 6300m² and check compliance with the TR34 FM2 (Special) classification. With renovations moving at a fast pace they asked us to complete the survey in one visit; and our team were happy to get in, get the survey done, and get out to cause minimum disruption.”

The report outlines the surface regularity of the free-movement area, and a sample of points across the floor is surveyed, informing the client if their floor meets the classification required, and is suitable for their needs.

The shed is nearing its 100^th birthday, and should be fully operational in time for the anniversary celebrations.

For your flooring needs, contact Face Consultants on +44 (0) 1484 600090 or email them at info@face-consultants.com

The post Face Consultants Get Hangar Refurbishment Off To A Flying Start appeared first on Face Consultants.

The seminar was designed to share expertise in design, consultancy and testing of high quality concrete floors; and FCC were joined by Somero, Shanghai Dragon Towel and others, to discuss concepts, and share processes and expertise.

It was held over two days, with Paul Kelly, International Industry advisor of Somero opened proceedings with a detailed introduction of high quality concrete floors and construction techniques.

James Hong from Face Consultants China followed Paul and gave a presentation on “performance based specification”, presenting the differences from prescriptive specifications used in China for many years.

Jason Blackmore, Regional manager of FCC had a lengthy discussion with all the attendees on Modern Warehouse Floor Design on the second day. He illustrated common defects in flooring in China and the reasons for them; and highlighted why detailed design and structure design are vital to high quality concrete floors.

The seminar was wrapped up with a Q&A session, where Jason and Paul shared their rich experience and expertise on construction of high quality concrete floors.

Educating China on High Quality Concrete Floors

David Shi, DM1

David Shi of Face Consultants China then demonstrated on-site abrasion resistant testing, flatness survey on Free-movement and defined-movement area with Face digital equipment.

Those who were at the seminar were impressed by performance based specification, modern design methodology, digital equipment and fast-track testing method illustrated to them, and believe it will be the trends for high quality floor industry in China.

You can contact Face Consultants China for more information on +86-21-5210 2903, or by email: info@face-consultants.com.cn

The post Educating China on High Quality Concrete Floors appeared first on Face Consultants.

A war memorial in the north of England was refurbished recently, and after complaints by members of the public that the area was now quite slippy, the contractor in charge of the renovation contacted Face Consultants to help.

“It’s an eye-catching and popular attraction” said Duane Scarfe, Operations and Quality Manager for Face Consultants. “So with many people visiting the memorial, public safety is paramount and a hazard-free floor is a must.”

The flooring experts were asked to perform slip resistance tests in accordance with UKSRG Guidelines, to check whether or not the floor showed high, moderate or low potential for slip.

“We visited the memorial, and there were three particular locations where we needed to perform the test” said Mr Scarfe. “Obviously, it’s a public area and pedestrians were walking around the memorial whilst we worked, so as standard we set up a very visible cordon to guide them around us whilst we carried out the test.”

“We used our pendulum testing equipment, and took readings throughout the public area to put in to a report for the contractor” said Duane.  “We were able to complete the test within a day and presented our findings back to the contractor.”

Face Consultants offer the slip and skid test in public areas such as hotels, railways station platforms, airport concourses and lots more.  If you want a test at your premises, or to discuss the other floor services that Face Consultants have to offer, contact them on +(0)1484 600090, or email info@face-consultants.com.

The post War Monument Gets Expert Attention appeared first on Face Consultants.

Face Consultants China have completed a due diligence inspection for a world renowned warehouse and system automation company in East China.
The firm, based in the city of Nanjing, contacted the industrial floor specialists as they wanted to install their systems and machinery in to two warehouses, but needed to make sure their floors were fit for purpose.

“We completed the work in June” said David Shi of Face Consultants China. “The total area of the two units was around 70,000m2, so it was a large warehouse floor inspection to manage.”

Face Consultants needed to perform an As-Built SOG Design Review, and levelness/settlement survey – which included marking a 3m x 3m grid on the floor. The K-value of the soil underneath was needed as well, so four small openings were made on the new floor to allow for a Plate Bearing Test (pictured above) to be performed.

Core samples were then taken from sections across the new floor (left), which were handed over to a local laboratory for strength testing.

Despite having lighting issues in the warehouses, and the vast size of the floors that they had to inspect; the project only took Face Consultants around two weeks to complete.

And with the help of the design team in the Face UK office, a report for the load bearing capacity of the slab was issued to the firm. This allowed the automation company to make a decision on their next steps for the installation of their equipment.

It was another successful result for Face Consultants, who left their client happy with their service.

For more information about due diligence inspection surveys, or other flooring services, contact Face Consultants now on +44 (0) 1484 600090 or email info@face-consultants.com.

The post Testing, Surveying, and Advice: All part of the service in East China appeared first on Face Consultants.

Changes for The TR34 4th Edition

In practical terms, the changes in the 4th Edition of TR34 have had relatively little impact on design thickness of slabs in comparison with the 3rd Edition(2). This judgement is based largely on the commonly used fabric reinforced slab designs incorporating sawn joints.It is possible that there may be more impacts in respect of fibre reinforced slabs as more guidance has been provided on minimum ductility requirements and the effects of fibres at joints. New guidance is given on steel stay- in- place construction joints and on the use of saw cut joints in fibre reinforced floors.Guidance is now provided for taking account of ground support in punching calculations.

Fibre Reinforced Designs

The minimum ductility requirement has been increased to 50%. This applies to both steel fabric and to fibre reinforcement. For fibres, this is unlikely to increase the design thickness of most jointless slabs. It will however restrict the use of very low steel fibre contents such as the 10 kgs per cubic metre reported as being used in slabs with sawn induced joints. Although this appears to be more of a mainland European phenomenon, it also applies to synthetic fibres used in sawn slabs seen in the UK. TR34 gives clear advice on the use of such designs as discussed later.One aspect of design which has not been considered is that of minimum fibre quantities for jointless slabs. Historically, 35 – 40 kgs of a 50 mm or 60 mm fibre was used. While this appears to still be the case in the UK, recently, designs in mainland Europe have been seen with as little as 18 kgs of fibre per cubic metre. The case is made that finer fibres are being used and that, therefore, the total number of fibres has increased resulting in better crack control. This is hard to accept at face value because the claimed ductility value of the lower fibre content is reduced to approximately 55% compared with the previously typical 70 to 80%. Although there may not be a precise correlation between flexural tensile strength and axial tensile strength, one must be an indicator of the other. This is an area for future research.Enhancement of punching capacity by the addition of steel fibres has been reduced by 50 %. This action was taken because it was felt that there was insufficient data to substantiate the 3rd Edition position. This has little effect on ground supported slabs where the effect has largely been balanced by the enhancement of the ground support that can be taken. Punching capacity is of much greater importance in pile supported designs and it was felt that a more conservative position was appropriate. This will be reported in the next of these articles.The enhancement effect of steel fibres on punching at dowels was shown to be unjustified and is not permitted in the 4th Edition. 

Joints

Positive advice is now given about the poor performance of continuous plate dowels. Commonly known as Omega joints, these have been shown to be inadequate with common failure caused by shear of the concrete above or below the continuous plates. These continuous plate dowels have been superseded for some considerable time by discrete plate dowels in most floors. They are however still prevalent on mainland Europe and have been used by some flooring contractors until recently in the UK.The use of sawn joints in fibre reinforced slabs has proved to be highly contentious. These were found in the UK on a number of new floors in the late 1990’s. Joints were left with no load transfer capacity and a number failed under the actions of fork lift trucks.The UK floor constructors learnt the hard lesson and soon abandoned the practice. As the UK market was more disposed to using steel mesh fabric in sawn floors, the number of projects affected was limited.Meanwhile in Europe, floor designs using fibres have generally been jointless. However, fibre reinforcement with sawn joints has become noticeably more prevalent in recent years. Some of these are already causing difficulties with considerable damage at some large distribution centres such as can be seen in Figures 1 and 2. These are presenting major headaches for developers, property owners and tenants alike. The same situation has been seen in the UK with the use of synthetic fibres and sawn joints.The trend towards fibre sawn slabs is also accompanied by a trend towards very low levels of fibre reinforcement. Designs have been seen with just 10 kgs of steel fibre. The floor is therefore effectively unreinforced as it is difficult to envisage that a cracked concrete section with such a small amount of fibre can experience any redistribution of moment. It is also certain that such small amounts of fibre cannot restrain surface cracks. TR34 now recommends that sawn joints should be avoided in fibre reinforced floors unless additional load transfer measures are used. In practical terms, this means that sawn joints should not be cut in floors reinforced with fibres only.

Protection of Joints

It is well recognised that joints are the weakest points in a floor and it has been proved to be the case that the installation of armoured joints has not been a panacea for the problem of damage by truck wheels and in particular by pallet trucks. Typical and in this case early damage at a joint can be seen in Figure 3.

The post Reinforcement of concrete industrial floors – Part II appeared first on Face Consultants.

The articles primarily consider the most common application of industrial floors which is to be found in warehouses and distribution centres. The three pieces will broadly relate to Chapters 6, 7 and 8 of Technical Report 34 Fourth Edition(1) as follows: Design-structural properties; Structural design of ground-supported slabs; Structural design of pile-supported slabs. Tony Hulett of Face Consultants reports.

It is self-evident that the most important aspect of floor design is that of the reinforcement and yet up until around ten years ago, there was little independent guidance available based on modern design techniques such as yield line theory.

Design methods had moved ahead significantly during the 1990s largely as a result of initiatives by steel-fibre suppliers in Europe. These initiatives had the positive effect of reducing slab thicknesses for ground-supported floors by about 15–20% and were a valuable step towards better economy.

However, design methods did not become independently codified until 2003 when The Concrete Society published the Third Edition of TR34(2). Generally across Europe, floor design had become reliant on the proprietary data and design methods of fibre suppliers, although in the UK a number of specialist designers began using similar design methods for both conventional and steel-fibre reinforcement around 2000.

The publication of the Third Edition for the first time provided integrated and comprehensive design guidance for ground-supported floors using either conventional reinforcement or fibre reinforcement and TR34 remains the only independently produced guidance of this type to be found in the world. It is the case that there are other generic guidelines on steel-fibre concrete but TR34 is distinctly different in that the guidance is specific to floors.

In the Fourth Edition in 2013, the guidance was updated in respect of fibre reinforcement based on wide international experience gained in the intervening ten years. This latest edition now also includes comprehensive design guidance for pile-supported floors. Although the guidance in TR34 is now widely used around the world, proprietary designs provided by fibre suppliers are still common and are particularly prevalent across mainland Europe.

Basis of design in TR34

The principles of design in TR34 are in limit state format; they are based on yield line analysis and are in accordance with Eurocode 2(3). Material properties are primarily based on European Standards.

Material properties and testing

Steel-fabric reinforcement is generally regulated by national Standards. At present, there is no European Standard. In the UK, steel fabric should be in accordance with BS 4483(4) and should preferably be supplied under a product certification scheme such as CARES, which provides independent verification of material performance.

Fibre-reinforced concrete is a more complex problem in terms of testing and performance reporting. The performance of steel-fibre concrete has traditionally been assessed based on beam tests. Square and round plate tests have been promoted in the past but have not gained acceptance in the floor construction sector, or European Standards.

In practice, the system of performance testing and reporting has not been subject to independent verification. Manufacturers have not systematically tested for the range of fibre types and contents used in floors. Where tests have been performed, some suppliers have appeared reluctant to publish their data and there is concern that claimed performance could be unreliable.

In the Fourth Edition of TR34, the notched beam test has been adopted in accordance with BS EN 14651(5). A beam under test can be seen in Figure 1. TR34 requires that 12 beams are tested and that the mean value is used for design purposes, subject of course to a materials partial safety factor as discussed later. Beam tests should use concrete that conforms to a standard. That ‘standard’ concrete should be, in so far as this is possible, compatible with the concrete that is being used in real floors.

BS EN 14651 requires that a standard concrete is used as prescribed in BS EN 14845-1(6). In that Standard, the use of concrete with a maximum size of 20mm is mandatory. This is obviously sensible as most concrete in the UK has aggregate of this size. In parts of Europe the use of larger aggregates such as 32mm is quite common.

Despite this, it has been noted that some tests have been based on aggregate as small as 14mm. The point here is that generally, fibre distribution and orientation is less uniform where larger aggregates are used and this has the effect of reducing the effective strength of the steel-fibre concrete. The corollary is that the use of smaller aggregates can artificially enhance test results.

The key issue here is that designers need to have confidence in the performance data provided.

Reinforcement as a commodity

It would generally be agreed that steel for reinforcement is a basic commodity in construction. Steel bar and wire are used in fabric and fibre production. It follows that for steel fabric, a standard mesh of say A193 is the same, irrespective of the manufacturer. The material will comply with the Standard and an independent quality scheme such as CARES is there to ensure that conformity is achieved from all suppliers.

Similarly, TR34 itself sets out to bring uniformity and conformity to floor design and construction irrespective of the designer or constructor.

There is however a missing link and that is the performance of the steel-fibre-reinforced concrete and it is suggested that this is an area that needs to be developed. Clearly there are limits on how far this can be taken because concrete is an inherently variable material, using as it must, local materials.

However, this constraint does not apply to the steel fibres themselves. Steel fibres are no more than shaped pieces of wire and the wire itself is a commodity that is produced in a relatively limited number of plants around the world. Furthermore, it is self-evident that a fibre of given geometry and steel strength is the same irrespective of supplier. In the UK there are probably only four fibre types in common use and it is also the case that the number of fibre contents used in concrete are relatively limited, with perhaps only three in common use in the UK.

Therefore in order to provide designers with standardised data it is possible that less than 20 combinations of steel fibre type and content need to be tested. It is suggested that this is work that should be considered by an independent body if funding could be found for such a project.

Material safety factors in design

The partial safety factor for conventional reinforcement is 1.1 in accordance with normal practice.

In TR34, the partial safety factor for steel-fibre-reinforced concrete is 1.5 and is the same as for normal concrete. By observation, steel-fibre concrete is a composite, the components of which have to be measured and mixed in much the same way as for normal plain concrete. Therefore the variability incurred cannot be less than that of normal concrete.

A strong case

Reinforcement is critical to the successful outcome of the design and construction of industrial floors. Reinforcement can generally be considered as a commodity.

In the UK, steel fabric reinforcement is supplied under an independent conformity scheme to established Standards. European Standards have been available for testing steel-fibre-reinforced concrete but have not been widely or consistently implemented. As a result, designers cannot have the confidence that they could reasonably expert.

There is a strong case for setting up an independent testing process for fibre reinforcement.

[References]:

1. CONCRETE SOCIETY. Concrete Industrial Ground Floors. A guide to design and construction. Technical Report 34, Fourth Edition, The Concrete Society, Camberley, 2013.
2. CONCRETE SOCIETY. Concrete Industrial Ground Floors. A guide to design and construction. Technical Report 34, Third Edition, The Concrete Society, Camberley, 2003.
3. BRITISH STANDARDS INSTITUTION, BS EN 1992-1-1. Eurocode 2 – Design of concrete structures. General rules and rules for buildings. BSI, London, 2004.
4. BRITISH STANDARDS INSTITUTION, BS 4483. Steel fabric for the reinforcement of concrete. BSI, London, 1998.
5. BRITISH STANDARDS INSTITUTION, BS EN 14651. Test method for metallic fibre in concrete. BSI, London, 2005.
6. BRITISH STANDARDS INSTITUTION, BS EN 14845. Test method for fibres in concrete. BSI, London, 2006.[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]

The post Reinforcement of concrete industrial floors – Part I appeared first on Face Consultants.

It is well understood that heavy power finishing creates a densified surface layer with closely integrated particle packing and low water:cement ratio. This has often been referred to as the creation of a ‘case hardened’ surface layer that is in the order of 1–2mm thick. In practice, it is also observed that when the surface layer has been worn away in aggressive environments or has been removed by grinding, the underlying concrete is usually still highly resistant to wear.

Abrasion Mechanisms

Abrasion resistance is the ability of the surface to resist loss of surface from rubbing or scraping/plucking actions that dislodge surface particles.

In typical warehouse or distribution centres, conditions are relatively benign. Neoprene truck tyres do not cause scraping or plucking actions and in many cases, it can be seen that the tyres have a polishing effect rather than a wearing effect.

Hard-wheeled pallet trucks can be aggressive on joints but there is little evidence of them causing direct wear on the floor surface.

Most loss of surface appears to be caused by scraping actions, typically from nails protruding from pallets that are pushed or dragged around. Dirty dusty floors can suffer wear when the dust is ground into the surface by rubber tired forklift trucks, a scenario that is more commonly in industrial buildings. In extreme cases such as waste transfer stations, the action of front loader buckets is very aggressive.

Abrasion Resistance Testing

The most commonly used method for testing in-situ floor surfaces is described in BS EN 13892-4(1). This Standard prescribes a machine, known as the BCA (British Cement Association) test, which creates a wearing process. The machine, shown in Figure 1, simulates a wearing mechanism by the use of three hardened-steel wheels mounted on a revolving plate. The plate revolves at a set speed for a set time under a prescribed load. The resultant annulus of wear is measured at eight points and the average depth of wear is reported to the nearest 0.01 mm.

Historically, floors have been classified in accordance with Tables 3 and 4 of BS 8204 -2(2). It is now appreciated that those classifications are of little value as the difference between the applications related to each of the classifications is totally subjective and therefore unhelpful. It has also been shown that in practice, the difference between for an example an AR1 and AR2 floor has not been reflected in real long-term wear rates of the floor.

For TR34 4th Edition(3), it was concluded that the test method was not useful in characterising long-term wear rates under typical warehouse use. This is to say that there are no data to show that, for example, a floor with a test classification of AR1 will have a longer service life than a floor that is compliant one with AR2. However, the test was accepted as being a useful indicator of a minimum acceptable floor surface for this type of application. For that reason a maximum test limit of abrasion of 0.2mm is required using BS EN 13892-4.

TR34 notes that resin-based curing compounds create a layer or ‘skin’ on the surface of the floor that can be impenetrable to the test machine. Caution should therefore be exercised when interpreting results.

In parts of Europe, BS EN 13892-3(4) is commonly cited in specifications for floors. This is a laboratory test known as the Böhme test and is used for testing screed materials. It is usually cited in respect of dry-shake toppings used on floors. It is difficult to see the relevance of this test method as the manufactured test specimen used in the laboratory cannot be representative of the actual floor.

ASTM C779(5) prescribes three methods using different machines each of which apply a different abrasion mechanisms. It can be assumed that the three different methods are intended to simulate different types of abrasive action. However, no guidance is given in this standard to suggest the appropriate method for simulating any particular use of a floor. It is understood that floors are rarely tested by any of these methods.

Factors Affecting Abrasion Resistance:-

Concrete Mix Design

Historically it was suggested that there was a relationship between increased cement content and greater resistance to abrasion resistance, suggesting that higher cement contents produced more durable floors. This relationship has been discounted since the late 1990s but it is still held to be the case in some of the English-speaking countries that were influenced by UK guidance in the 1980s and 1990s. 

A literature review in 2002⁽⁶⁾ demonstrated that, in line with flooring industry perceptions of the time, abrasion resistance does not increase with increased cement content above an upper limit of about 350kg/m³. Having revisited that literature review, it is probable that a lower limit of 325kg/m³ can be safely applied provided that water:cement ratios are controlled.

The significance of avoiding higher than necessary cement contents is that higher cement contents are a major contributory factor to greater shrinkage. For this important reason the updating of BS 8204, where minimum cement contents of 400kg/m³ are given, is long overdue.

Curing

Effective curing to ensure maximum hydration of the concrete surface is of paramount importance. Curing can be through the use of sprayed-on curing compounds, which create a waxy coating, polyethylene sheeting or water or combinations of these methods.

Curing compounds are often described as ‘hardeners’. It is doubtful if they have that effect in the true sense in that they are unlikely to modify the surface matrix of the concrete. These compounds are sprayed on when the surface pore structure of the concrete is saturated and it is therefore difficult to see how the compound can penetrate the surface. 

Curing compounds are, however, effective in slowing water loss from the surface and therefore will create ‘harder’ surfaces in the same way as any other effective curing regime. It is well known that the compounds are worn off or degrade in use over a period of around a year, although this period is dependent on use and exposure to light.

Surface hardeners, such as sodium silicate, which can be used for improving weaker surfaces in hardened concrete, cannot be used as a curing medium on fresh concrete.

Dry-shake Toppings 

Dry-shake toppings are blends of cement and fine aggregates, sometimes together with wetting agents and or pigments. In principle, a dry-shake topping has the same basic components as the fine aggregate and cement in concrete, ie, the mortar paste element. It follows that for the dry-shake topping to enhance abrasion resistance over and above the base concrete in a floor, the topping must have property enhancing characteristics. 

In most cases, toppings are supplied as fibre suppressants and are associated with steel-fibre-reinforced floors. The prime purpose of the topping is to boost the volume of mortar paste at the surface so as to give greater coverage potential over the close-to-surface fibres. 

It should not be assumed that toppings will increase abrasion resistance, although it is certainly the case that some toppings when tested exhibit better results than others. It is generally held that toppings that contain metallic particles will enhance abrasion resistance and it is, therefore, perhaps not surprising to find that toppings are marketed with product names that infer metallic attributes. 

Before committing to unnecessary cost, specifiers should seek clarification and test data based on real floors in realistic conditions and bear in mind that in the UK, most floors do not have any toppings. In extremely aggressive environments such as waste transfer stations, it is doubtful if any form of surface treatment can extend service life.

Surface hardeners

A recent trend outside of the UK has been to use lithium or sodium silicate as surface hardeners. Traditionally, sodium silicate (waterglass) was used on concrete floor surfaces to deal with dusting problems caused by inadequate curing or other deficiencies. The silicate compound reacts with excess portlandite formed during cement hydration to form stable compounds.

While there is little doubt that these silicates can play a beneficial role in improving poor quality surfaces on completed floors, these products are being applied as soon as 12 hours after concrete placement, as part of the finishing process. In other cases, they are being applied at around seven days after finishing following the removal of a wet curing medium such as polyethylene sheeting. It is difficult to see how this can be effective, as at such early stages in the development of the maturity of the concrete, the pore structure is saturated and therefore impenetrable to surface applied compounds in solution. For most effective use of soluble sodium silicate compounds the concrete is required to have a surface porosity and therefore a period of drying before application.

It is also worth reminding ourselves that well-finished and well-cured concrete surface have been shown to be highly durable without the use of such surface hardeners. However, it is the case that surface hardeners can play a useful role in improving mature floor surfaces in some cases.

Concluding remarks

Poor resistance to abrasion is highly unusual in modern floor construction, where good-quality concrete and good finishing and curing techniques are used. High cement contents do not enhance abrasion resistance and should be avoided because of their effect on shrinkage. Dry-shake toppings do not necessarily enhance abrasion resistance and although some exhibit greater potential from test results, they are not generally needed in typical warehouse applications. The use of surface hardeners on new immature concrete is questionable although they can be useful in improving deficient mature concrete.

[References]:

1. BRITISH STANDARDS INSTITUTION, BS EN 13892. Methods of test for screed materials. Part 4 – Determination of wear resistance – BCA. BSI, London, 2002.
2. BRITISH STANDARDS INSTITUTION, BS 8204. Screeds, bases and in situ floorings. Part 2 – Concrete wearing surfaces. Code of practice. BSI, London, 2003+A2:2011.
3. CONCRETE SOCIETY. Concrete Industrial Ground Floors. Technical Report 34, Fourth Edition, The Concrete Society, Camberley, 2013.
4. BRITISH STANDARDS INSTITUTION, BS EN 13892. Methods of test for screed materials. Part 3 – Determination of wear resistance – Bohme. BSI, London, 2004.
5. AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR TESTING AND MATERIALS, ASTM C779. Standard Test Method for Abrasion Resistance of Horizontal Concrete Surfaces. ASTM, Pennsylvania, USA, 2012
6. HULETT, T. Abrasion resistance of power finished concrete industrial floors. ICT Yearbook 2002–2003, ICT, Camberley, 2002.

The post Abrasion Resistance of Warehouse Floors appeared first on Face Consultants.

Face Consultants have therefore been at the forefront of the development of this edition. Managing Director Kevin Dare has been instrumental in a detailed review and overhaul of the floor surface flatness and construction sections, while Technical Director Tony Hulett chaired the Design Group.

TR34 has been influential throughout the world for many years since its first edition in 1988. In 2003, for the first time, it provided comprehensive guidance on the design of ground supported slabs using both fabric and fibre reinforcement. Since then its influence has increased in no small measure due its promotion by Face Consultants worldwide.

This latest edition now includes design guidance for pile supported floors and can now be considered a truly comprehensive document for the design of Warehouse Floors. Already, it is being read and talked about across the world. So now, in 2013, both TR34 and Face Consultants have become truly “global brands”.

However, the development of technical excellence is never finished. Face Consultants as the leading global consultancy are committed to the ongoing improvement of the understanding of industrial floors and to applying this knowledge for the benefit of its clients.

ACIFC Understanding TR34 4th Edition Conference Update
Kevin Dare, Face Consultants’ MD and Chairman of Association of The Concrete Industrial Flooring Contractors (ACIFC) was one of the key speakers at the recent ACIFC conference which took place on Tuesday 5th November. The conference offered an exclusive insight into the new TR34 4th Edition, the recognised industry standard for concrete industrial flooring.

Please click here to Read More

The post Launch of TR34 4th Edition appeared first on Face Consultants.

Because fresh concrete contains a system of water filled channels, the application of a vacuum to the surface results in water being extracted from a certain depth of the concrete, this water is sometimes referred to as ‘water of workability’. The final water / cement ratio at the surface is thus reduced and as this ratio largely controls the strength of the concrete and a higher strength will be obtained. However it must be noted that some of the water extracted leaves voids and as such the theoretical advantage of removing the water may not be fully achieved in practice.

It is safe to say that the increase in strength gained with the VDW system is proportional to the amount of water removed. However, this is dependent on the depth of the concrete and the mix proportions. The VDW process, if carried out over a 25 minute period, can reduce the water content by 20% but is only really effective at depths of 100 – 150mm.

Although there are some advantages with using VDW on concrete floors resulting in increased strengths, increased density and assists increase abrasion resistance, there are some disadvantages
that need to be considered:

1. The withdrawal of water produces settlement of the concrete, possibly up to 3%. This can be topped up with the application of a dry shake but with little bleed water at the surface there is a risk of subsequent delamination.
2. In practice the VDW process produces voids in the concrete and it has been found that with the same water / cement ratio, ordinary concrete has been found to have a somewhat higher strength than VDW concrete.
3. VDW concrete stiffens very quickly and although this is fine in climates where VDW was first developed (Sweden) it leaves the window of workability very short in hotter climates. Workability of the concrete paste is critical when constructing a high tolerance floor for Very Narrow Aisle (VNA) warehouses.
4. Some of the finer materials are removed with the VDW process and fine sands and cement contents of greater than 350 Kg / m3 should be avoided.
5. Divided liability issues need to be addressed. If for example a floor has been designed with a given concrete strength and that strength has been assumed to have a 15% enhancement from the VDW process, what happens when cores are taken from the finished slab (obviously cylinders / cube tests will only show strength of the concrete prior to VDW) and the results are below that expected? The concrete supplier will claim he has supplied concrete to the correct quality and the flooring contractor will claim he has carried out the VDW process correctly. There are also the additional costs in testing to consider

One of the biggest disadvantage with the VDW system is that it is best suited for the more traditional long strip method of construction which is fine when considering the construction of superflat floors for VNA applications where the majority of the construction joints fall under the racking and out of reach from forklift traffic. However, the VDW process is not really conducive to more modern, high throughput construction techniques that have been recently introduced to the Middle East. Construction methods and equipment that have been used in Europe and the USA for nearly twenty years and have now become the common construction method for building floors for warehouses and distribution centres. By this I mean constructing floors using the Laser Screed system.

There are three parts to the design of floor slab for a warehouse of Distribution Centre:

1. Structural design (thickness of slab and reinforcement)
2. Detail design (joint layout, joint detailing and knowledge of construction method).
3. Specification – The performance requirements.

If VDW is prescribed in the specification we need to consider how it affects the three parts of the design:

1) Structural design

When we design the thickness of the floor do we consider the enhanced strength of the concrete following the VDW process or not?
If we do, and design the floor as a consequence, the slab will be thinner but good quality control issues need to be put in place with regard to testing the wet concrete prior to placing and the cured concrete, in-situ, which has been through the VDW process. Also what enhancement do we use in the design?
If we do not, then this could be regarded as over designed and therefore un-economic.

2) Detail design

Using the VDW process limits the construction method to the long strip system. This is a slower process compared to other methods that can be made available and increases the number of  construction joints in the floor. Although best efforts can be made to hide the joints under racking and out of forklift traffic, this is not always possible and who knows how the building will be used in time. Using construction methods that reduce the number of construction joints reduces time, labour and materials all of which bring cost savings and reduced long term maintenance.

3) Specification

A good performance specification should not be influenced by the construction method but by the requirements of the end user. Such as:

• Flatness
• Abrasion resistance
• Loading capacity
• Joint performance
• Aesthetics
• Curing

These issues need to be specified with a performance requirement and should not be prescriptive. As long as the contractor can provide a floor that meets the minimum performance requirements set down in the specification and they can be tested for compliance, then the client should accept any method the contractor wishes to use.

If the performance requirements are specified correctly then VDW may be considered by the contractor to achieve the requirements but it should not be prescribed.

On a final note on VDW I would like to make a personal observation. We are involved globally, designing, supervising, testing and constructing industrial floors and other than the UAE and India, VDW is rarely if ever used.

Modern Ground Bearing Slab Design And Construction For Industrial Buildings.

Today, the design and construction of most industrial ground bearing slabs in the UK and many European countries are based on the guidelines within the UK’s Concrete Society’s Technical Report 34 (TR34). This is very much a performance based guide centring on designing and construction the floor around the end users requirements and starts with understanding how the floor is intended to be used.

First a design brief is established based on answers to the following primary questions:

• What are the loadings on the floor, UDL, line and point loads from racking?
• Is there to be racking installed? If so a layout will be required.
• Is the floor to be designed for VNA (Defined Movement) or Free Movement use?
• How flat does the floor need to be?
• What abrasion resistance is required?
• Are there any aesthetic requirements?

Secondary questions are then asked to assist in the design, for example:

• What are the ground conditions?
• Does the end user want a jointed or jointless floor?
• If the floor is to be used by VNA trucks, how will they be guided?
• Will the end user accept grinding as a method to achieve a high tolerance for VNA use?

From this information a design will be produced giving:

• The slab thickness.
• Concrete strength requirements.
• Reinforcement requirements.
• Joint layout based on proposed end use and construction methods available.
• Joint details, formed (construction) and induced (sawn). Also suggestions of proprietary joint systems for better long term maintenance.
• A flatness requirement. A DM category for VNA floors and FM for all other Free Movement Floors.
• An abrasion resistance specification.
• Any aesthetic considerations
• A good curing regime.
• A compliance testing procedure.

Once the basic design is accepted by both the end user and the engineering consultant it will be presented to the contractor. The contractor may come back with alternatives to some elements of the design to enable a speedier or more economic approach. Compromises may be made and a final design will be agreed by all parties before construction.

The first question that is established is whether the floor is to be used as Defined Movement (VNA) or Free Movement (pretty much everything else).

If Defined Movement, then the flatness specification will be either DM 1 or DM 2 depending on the height of the racking. Then the floor will usually be constructed in the long strip method of construction, unless the client is happy to have his floor ground into specification within the aisles and therefore a Laser Screed, large pour construction method could be adopted with the Laser Grinder® used to grind the aisle ways where the floor is non compliant. The only benefits of this latter approach are speed of construction and reduced number of construction joints.

If Free Movement, the floor will usually be specified either FM2 or FM2 (special) and designed to be constructed using the Laser Screed, Large pour method of construction to reduce the number of formed joints thus reduce long term maintenance costs.

The rest of the design is usually built around the remaining performance requirements.

Face Consultants

Face Consultants specialize in the design, construction and operation of warehouse and industrial floors. With over 20 years of international experience (13 in the Middle East), FACE Consultants are uniquely qualified to provide sound flooring advice to the logistics, food and other manufacturing sectors.

For new build or conversion we can assist owners and engineers at the critical design stages, advising on aspects such as floor load capacities, flatness requirements, floor joint design and construction methodology – decisions that are critical to the long term operating costs of these facilities. We have a wealth of experience in teaching contractors the skills needed in achieving performance floors and advise on equipment to achieve the same.

We offer a full Total Quality Management (TQM) system during construction, testing sub-base levels, checking joint details, reinforcement placement, concrete delivery and consistency, Floor Flatness testing and Abrasion Resistance testing.

In established facilities, we offer a comprehensive range of surveying, testing, diagnostic and condition monitoring services – advising clients on improving fork lift productivity and on repair and maintenance strategies.

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The post Vacuum De-Watering (VDW) appeared first on Face Consultants.

The choice for ground supported slabs should be based on the costs associated with the construction method and the resulting benefits for the floor user.

Tony Hulett, Technical Director of Face Consultants Ltd, discusses those construction methods and the benefits but has confined it to ground-supported floors only. This technical article also featured in The Concrete Society’s publication, Concrete Magazine. Read More

The post Jointless Floors appeared first on Face Consultants.

Floors in warehouses are the key construction element in the building, and yet, over recent years, we have seen tenants sign up to long term full repairing leases on buildings with floors which are in appalling condition. We have also seen tenants being compelled to replace floors in 30 year old buildings where the floor has long since passed its serviceable life.

So how to avoid these pitfalls?

The first and foremost step is to ensure that the floor is surveyed by a competent engineer / surveyor before entering into a lease. The engineer will walk straight past the recently smartened up entrance offices and other facilities to get to the functional heart of the building – the warehouse and its floor.

What never ceases to surprise is the willingness of tenants to enter into leases without exercising due diligence and yet the cost of doing so in respect to the floor can be no more than one would expect to pay for a survey on a house.

What do we need from the floor?

The floor must be structurally sound, that is to say, thick enough and with sufficient reinforcement to take the loads, particularly from storage racking and fork lifts. The surface must be hard and durable and not given to dusting. Cracks may or may not be a problem and need to be checked out. The weakest parts of a floor are the joints. If these are very wide and broken down, then they need attention. Cracking and broken slab edges can be signs of problems below the floor, in which case a ground investigation may be needed. In addition, the floor should be flat enough for the intended use, particularly if racking is to be installed.

What to look for?

A newly painted floor should be treated with great caution. Floor paint is commonly used to superficially smarten up a floor in the probably correct belief that it will help in the letting of the building. At worst it may be covering up a multitude of problems, at best, the tenant will inherit a maintenance issue.

Checking out the floor before entering into the lease is vital. But so is checking out the terms of the lease. Dilapidation clauses seem in some cases to be heavily weighted against tenants, giving landlords unlimited freedom of action in determining what is required for remediation at the end of a lease. In a recent case, an entire floor in an old warehouse was replaced at the outgoing tenants cost, on the basis that it was no longer fit for purpose.

Like all structural elements, even well maintained floors have a limited useful life after which maintenance and repair becomes impractical. It seems unlikely that an outgoing tenant could be expected to provide a completely new building but could be expected to replace the entire floor, which is a fundamental part of the building. Surely this is the landlord’s problem and certainly something for the prospective tenant’s legal advisors to think about.

The message for prospective tenants is simple, both legal and engineering advice is needed if costly pitfalls related to warehouse and distribution centre floors are to be avoided.

The post Dilapidations and Floors appeared first on Face Consultants.

The client wanted to extend their freezer store which had a 90m long, insulated wall penetrating the slab. Removing the wall would leave a 200mm wide gap between the slabs. To achieve greater tolerance between potentially differing floor levels between slabs, a local engineer submitted a plan to remove a 2m wide strip of slab for the entire length of the wall. This would have incurred demolition costs, new slab construction and reinforcement. Once the slabs were reinstated, the floor would not be serviceable for a minimum of 28 days to allow adequate curing and load capability, thus extending operational downtime.

In contrast, the FACE design team determined that the difference in levels would be minor so they proposed that the slabs be cut with a 50x50mm notch each side of the gap between the slabs. Longitudinal reinforcement and transverse rebar every 450mm could then be installed. Followed by infilling with an epoxy mortar and after curing grinding to provide a smooth transition.

This solution provided cost savings on demolition and new materials, with the biggest saving for the client being that the slab would be able to return to service within a day or two rather than 28 days!

As the FACE Design team did not know who was going to carry out this work, a full diagrammatic sequence of works was submitted to the client to ensure easy to follow methods of construction and total comprehension.

The post Smart Slab Reinstatement appeared first on Face Consultants.

On the surface they appear to be one of the simplest parts of a structure to construct. However, this simplicity often leads to an underestimation of the design and construction requirements. A well designed and constructed floor will increase productivity, reduce maintenance of the building and increase the life of the equipment using the floor.

A floor design should be performance-based, and this starts with understanding the requirements of how the floor will be used. Most Floor designers will be given a brief from the warehouse owner to ensure the floor will take the imposed loads, be flat, long-lasting and aesthetically pleasing and it will be their responsibility to draw up the performance specification. The specialist flooring contractor should consider the construction methods, programme, cost and any value engineering they can bring to the design. Compromises may have to be made in developing the final design of the floor, but the result should be one that is economically designed and built to meet the performance requirements.

There are two parts to a floor design:

• Structural Design – the ability to withstand the applied loads
• Detailed Design – joint design and other performance requirements

Read More

The post Performance Floors for Warehouses and Distribution Centres appeared first on Face Consultants.

Although Face Consultants (FACE) can now survey the VDMA guidelines, they do not currently endorse the recommendations as they have yet to be validated and peer reviewed.

FACE, with the assistance of BITA and their members, have been carrying out a number of surveys on existing installations where VNA trucks are operating at differing levels of performance. As the VDMA guideline implies a measurement equivalent to the thickness of a single piece of paper can dramatically affect the performance of a VNA truck, FACE conducted a controlled experiment to determine if this is the case, in addition to these surveys. Read More

The post Can a Piece of Paper Dramatically Reduce the Performance of a Very Narrow Aisle (VNA) Truck? appeared first on Face Consultants.

Many floors are cracked to some degree. In perhaps most cases, the cracking does not lead to serious problems but in others, the severity of the cracking is such that the floors may not give the expected long-term service.

Tony Hulett of Face Consultants proposes measures in design and construction required to minimise the incidence of cracks in steel-fibre-reinforced piled floors. First, it is useful to understand what can be expected from floors. Read More

The post Design & Construction of Pile-Supported Concrete Industrial Floors appeared first on Face Consultants.

This now enhances the family of Face Digital floor surveying equipment which already covers TR34 (FM and DM), The American F-Number system (including F min), EN 15620:2008*, DIN 18202 and Din 15185.

Although Face can now survey the VDMA guidelines they do not currently endorse the recommendations as they have yet to be validated and peer reviewed.

In 2009 / 2010 FEM drafted a guidance document (FEM 4.007) with recommendations for surface regularity which was based on the DIN 15185 specification but introduced a very small short wavelength control called ‘‘Fx’’. These recommendations were presented to the BITA – WITI Working Group (WG) on 14th July 2010 by members of the FEM Working Group 4. It was the decision of the BITA WG that it could not approve the FEM guidance note in totality and that further validation was required. Shortly after this meeting the FEM WG decided that the FEM 4.007 guidance note be removed from the table and the working group closed.

In September 2010 VDMA introduced a guideline “Floors for use with VNA Trucks” which is a slightly amended version of the FEM Guidance note rejected by FEM a few months earlier.

Face, with the assistance of BITA and their members, have started carrying out a number of surveys on existing installations where Very Narrow Aisle (VNA) trucks are operating at differing levels of performance. Each of the floors will be surveyed to TR34, EN 15620:2008* and DIN 15185 as well as the VDMA Guidelines. Face are hoping that this study will help either validate the VDMA Guidelines or put forward recommendations from its findings.

To read the full report, please click here

The post Face Fact on VDMA Guidelines appeared first on Face Consultants.

However, instances of poor workmanship and material selection still occur. A further step change in quality control is needed to get the poorest performing flooring contractors up to the standards of the best.

Thepurpose of this article is to provide encouragement to main contractors to grasp the quality nettle and to provide some advice on the key areas to control. Read More

The post Quality control for warehouse and industrial floors appeared first on Face Consultants.

TR34 has included standards for floor flatness in defined movement areas – for example, warehouse racking aisles — since first publication in 1988. However, these standards only covered the across-axle tilt measurement and the short wave-length characteristics of the outer two wheel tracks. It did not include measurement of the positions of all wheels or a long wave-length control.
Appendix C of the new edition of TR34 includes maximum values for differences in levels laterally and longitudinally for all wheel tracks within defined movement areas and also stipulates the rates at which levels change. Values are specified for three fork truck lift heights – up to eight metres, eight to 13 metres, and over 13 metres.

The new specification is based on a similar set of standards that has been in use in the USA since the late 1970s and has been introduced as the basis for a possible future European FEM (Fédération Européenne de la Manutention) standard.

TR34 edition 3 also proposes a new method for surveying defined movement areas, using a profileograph that simulates the dimensions of the trucks to be used. The profileograph produces a continuous profile of the floor surface in relation to the specification as it travels along the wheel paths of the lift truck, effectively recording the regularity of the floor as a truck would experience it. “The new TR34 edition closes a significant loophole in the standards relating to floor flatness”, said Kevin Dare, Managing Director of Face Consultants and a member of the Concrete Society working group. “Warehouse owners and operators should now be able to get the standard of flatness they require for safe, efficient operation of lift trucks without any ambiguity”.

The post New Flatness Standards For Concrete Floors appeared first on Face Consultants.

Previous standards only covered the across-axle tilt measurement and the short wave-length characteristics of the outer two wheel tracks. They did not include measurement of the positions of all wheels or a long wave-length control, and as a result warehouse operators were in the dark over a vital productivity issue. Meanwhile, trucks have been getting faster – up to 11 kph – and lifting to greater heights, so the issue of floor flatness is even more important now in the sense that more productivity is potentially available.

Appendix C of the new edition of  TR34 includes maximum values for differences in levels across the aisle and down the aisle for all wheel tracks for VNA installations and also stipulates the rates at which levels change. Values are specified for a range of truck lift heights.

However, confusion remains in the industry about the TR34 floor flatness standards, their merits and how they can be assessed. Some of the confusion may even have been intentional, as various truck suppliers compete for business. Like salesmen everywhere, truck salesmen do not want obstacles in the way such as inconvenient floor specifications.

In order to assess the potential running speeds of floors, operators need reliable data that can relate truck speed to floor flatness with confidence. In this respect, one of the methods most commonly used in the UK for VNA floor measurement is seriously inadequate because the center wheel track is not measured, so the relationship between the rear center wheel and the front load wheels is ignored.

This gap in the data is easily filled by a simple procedure, approved by the TR34 report in 2003 and recently confirmed in a Concrete Society Guidance Note. This involves the use of a truck simulator to measure the floor as the truck would respond to it. The standard ‘profileograph’ (Face floor profiler) used by FACE Consultants in their procedures has one sensor that measures height differences between the front and back of the truck and a second that measures the differences from side to side.

This technique has been used in the USA for 30 years and has been available in the UK for at least the last six years, and a similar method is used in Germany and much of continental Europe. Its use in the UK has increased dramatically. There is no doubt that it gives warehouse operators the information they need to judge whether a floor will allow their trucks to operate at the speeds claimed by the manufacturers and help the productivity levels required in the warehouse to be achieved. In fact, higher truck speeds are only one benefit:

operators will also enjoy lower maintenance costs, less down-time and reduced driver fatigue.

The TR34 Appendix C truck simulator method has been accepted in a draft European Standard.

The best course of action when a new VNA warehouse floor is being laid is to aim for the required flatness standard in the first place and without subsequent grinding. Many
contractors can build to the necessary standard at little extra cost, but it has to be said that some apparently cannot. Floors laid without reliance on grinding will have cross-aisle and down-aisle tolerances in all tracks that are well within the requirements.

It is understandable that some surveying and grinding companies have not taken to the new standards with enthusiasm because they have involved new equipment and new procedures. The coordinated grinding of a moving set of three points is more complicated than simply dealing with only the two points at either side of an aisle.

With existing floors, operators need to get the best out of what they already have. As a starting point, we strongly recommend measuring them using the TR34 Appendix C truck simulator method. Armed with this reliable data, better informed business decisions can be taken about truck purchases, floor upgrades and other options.

In many cases improvements can be made at modest cost simply by attending to lifted joints or other isolated features in racking aisles, the effects of which are only picked up by the truck simulator method. If safety is the only requirement, then the trucks can be slowed down – if that has not already been done.

The post New Floor Flatness Standards In The Spotlight appeared first on Face Consultants.

The post Set in Stone appeared first on Face Consultants.

Kevin Dare, MD of FACE Consultants and a member of the Concrete Society working group on floor regularity puts forward some important views on producing the best surfaces underfoot. Read More

The post Flatness comes first appeared first on Face Consultants.

Although the Concrete Society Technical Report TR34 published in 1988 was pioneering step and indeed contains the principal standards used to determine floor flatness in warehouses, construction methods and operators demands have left it behind in some important respects. Read More

The post Level Playing Field appeared first on Face Consultants.

Read More

The post Guidance Note – Use of Chapter 4 and Appendix C appeared first on Face Consultants.

Will the new standard enable warehouse operators to make more efficient use of their materials handling equipment or simply create an un welcome expense for these considering using VNA equipment? Read More

The post Flat Hunting appeared first on Face Consultants.

More often than not, the independent surveying company instructed to carry out the test has been instructed by the flooring contractor as part of its overall package. But who tests the testers? Read More

The post Surface regularity – the ups and downs appeared first on Face Consultants.

Manual floor grinding and mechanised grinding using a Laser Grinder, but what is the difference? Read More

The post Grinding superflat – the options appeared first on Face Consultants.

Mechanical Handling Equipment (MHE) uses fixed paths in very narrow aisles (VNA) and is usually associated with high-level storage racking. Read More

The post Surface regularity of industrial floors – (Part 2) appeared first on Face Consultants.

Floor flatness is a fundamental performance requirement in floors and an important consideration in terms of construction. As the materials handling industry is now developing its own European standards, it seems an appropriate time for review and reflection on the topic. Read More

The post Surface regularity of industrial floors – a review of TR34 2003 appeared first on Face Consultants.

What is perhaps not well understood is the part played by the floor in the overall efficiency and safety of a warehouse. Tony Hulett explains…Read more

The post Undervalued and under your feet appeared first on Face Consultants.