Brush Transformers in Loughborough need a new section of flooring installed in their main production facility so that their new air mover could easily glide over the floor surface, carrying newly assembled transformers, each weighing up to 130 tons.
It was crucial that the floor finish conformed to the critical requirement of the air mover and was extremely flat and smooth with a maximum tolerance of +/- 1mm, over any 3m length.
The old floor and concrete was removed to depth of 50mm using ride-on floor planers. The exposed substrate was then shot blasted and primed with a resin DPM primer.
A base layer of 40mm of a modified, rapid curing cement-based levelling screed was then pump into the area. Once this had cured, the area was re-primed, and a reinforcing fabric mesh was laid into the wet primer. This layer helps prevent any potential cracking from the substrate being reflected through the final screeds.
Once the base layer and primer had cured, a final 10mm application of a self-smoothing, cement-based levelling screed was pumped in, finishing flush with the surrounding floor level.
This was then coated with three applications of a water-based epoxy resin. Expansion joints were re-cut through the screed and filled with a flexible polysulphide joint compound.
Line markings were also applied around the outside of the new floor finish.
Within 24 hours of completion, the air skate was successfully carrying transformers from end of the workshop to the other, hovering just 2mm above the floor finish.
