When the city of Phoenix needed to replace deteriorated portions of a 2nd floor, trap rock floor topping located at its solid waste station, they specified EMERYTOP 400™ from the LATICRETE® L&M® product line for its excellent abrasion resistance.
Objective:
To repair six, separate deteriorated 2nd floor portions of The City of Phoenix' 27th Ave. Solid Waste Transfer Station adding at least 10 years future wear. Accumulated damage and wear occurred over 12 years of heavy garbage truck and front-end loader bucket drops. The damage caused the top ¾" of the trap rock reinforced concrete floor surface to become heavily deteriorated.
Challenges:
Preparation and application had to be done between the close of business on Friday to the opening shift on Monday morning. Conditions were less than pleasant-100-degree temperatures and low humidity accompanied by garbage stench. (Conditions were not exactly ideal for a family picnic, although a few billion flies thoroughly enjoyed the event.) The existing damage was score-sawed at least 3/4" and removed using hydraulic demolition hammers mounted on small skid loaders. The entire floor was then cleaned with waterblasters and scabblers. Loose aggregate and topping were then removed before the process continued. Due to the extreme heat and low humidity, they staged EMERYTOP 400™ to be placed under roof and used iced water for mixing to assure adequate mixing and placement time.
Placement:
Placement of EMERYTOP 400™ began Sunday mornings after excess water was removed and a bonding slurry of portland cement and EVERBOND™ was placed on the damp substrate. Under the watchful eye of Dale Fulcher, Chief Construction Inspector for the City of Phoenix, the DPR Concrete crew, led by Steve Mitchell, placed the EMERYTOP 400™, consolidating it with a vibrating screed and leaving the surface with a float finish to provide slip resistance. After placing and finishing the repaired area, it was water cured for seven days. After the initial seven day curing was completed, DRESS & SEAL 30™ was applied to continue and optimize the long term curing process.
Specifications:
EMERYTOP 400™: Heavy duty Emery aggregate topping, consisting of high a concentration of select polyhedral shaped emery aggregates containing aluminum oxide for hardness and iron oxide for toughness. This unique topping has a Mohs hardness of 9, approaching that of diamonds. Its irregular shaped, non-absorbent aggregates are integrated into an extremely dense, interlocking, cohesive cement matrix mass that produces a rust-free, chemically resistant surface. EMERYTOP 400™ provides maximum abrasion resistance and durability. It is available in 55 lb. bags and 3,000 lb. bulk bags.
Project Specifications:
Customer: City of Phoenix, Dale Fulcher, Chief Construction Inspector Consulting
Engineer: Engineer, Enamul Hoque, P.E., F.ASCE-President
Project Manager: Rick Zingle, Project Mgr. For Truesdell Corporation
Production Manager: Dale Patterson, For Truesdell Corporation
Distributor: Orco Construction Supply Company, Mesa, Arizona
Concrete: DPR Concrete Company, Crew member, Steve Mitchell
