Project Description
The project used FORTA-FERRO® to achieve a column like design, reducing conventional control joints by 80%. The fiber design was also used in several large panel areas in the exterior leading dock slabs on ground as a comparison to jointed panels. The interior floors allowed for the column like fiber sections to be adjacent to the small panel jointed sections in order to allow for comparison under the same construction conditions including the eventual distribution center forklift traffic. The FORTA-FERRO® panels replaced all steel reinforcement, and has dowel bars at the column line joints.
Update
The 1-year flatness profile performed on the slabs in Building A showed approximately 2/3 reduction in vertical curl for the fiber panels vs. the small-jointed panels. One crack was reported in the fiber slab near the loading dock, and was attributed to improper dowel placement as the crack was approximately 1 ft. away from the doweled joint. At the 6-year mark, considerable joint deterioration was evident in the small-panel sections, which exhibited obvious curling and therefore corner failures as a result. Approximately half of the column-line fiber sections have been utilized for rack loading of products and material, with no apparent signs of surface wear or deterioration. None of the fiber panel cracks had opened, and all remained very tight with no evidence of separation or curling. Even with 6-year evidence of minor tight cracking, the project serves as a very successful example of a more sustainable and reduced-maintenance floor system.
Kery Points:
- Extended Joints
- Extreme Durability
- Reduced Curling
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