Greek Triumph

Concrete Grinding Ltd successfully completed its first contract in Greece for a new build project in Athens. Aktor SA was the main contractor and Trade Logistics was the client, a 3PL services provider, representing the popular houseware store group IKEA.

 Working together with the flooring contractor and newly appointed agent Eurolit, CG performed three-wheel track laser grinding to 46 narrow aisles totalling over 4,800m of VNA, equivalent to over three miles of aisle way.

Due to timing restrictions, the decision was made to lay the floor using a laser screed in large jointless panels. A floor built using the laser screed technology allows for up to 2,000m2 to be constructed in single day. As each large section of the floor was completed and handed over, other contractors could start their work while the remainder of the floor was being constructed.

According to the project’s schedule, once the floor was laid, the centreline of each proposed aisle was marked on the floor then surveyed by Face Consultants Ltd to check for compliance to the DIN 15185 specification. Any areas of the floor surveyed that were not compliant with the specification were identified from the FACE Profileograph graphic traces and corrected by remedial laser grinding.

This approach, combined with the skill of the flooring contractor, allowed for only the non-compliant areas of floor to be ground, thus increasing speed, efficiency and eliminating the time wasted grinding the entire length of each aisle. Subsequently, the cost for laser grinding was also reduced.

In addition, a typical steel joint interface was used by Eurolit whilst casting the floor. However, this did not pose any problem for the Laser Grinder® , which has the ability to grind through the metal joint system.

The building itself was divided into three zones, with each zone using different materials handling equipment. Each type of MHE had different wheelbase dimensions, meaning that the front two load wheels for each arrangement has a different spacing. The laser grinder can easily adapt for this situation and be set up to grind for an wheel spacing, depending on the clients’ requirements. This ensured that there was no delay between grinding works in the different zones.

Once laser grinding was completed, each aisle was once again surveyed by Face Consultants to prove full compliance with the DIN 15185 specification.

From start to finish, the entire project ran very smoothly. The project was completed ahead of the racking installation programme. This Laser Screed® and Laser Grinder® method of construction is the first to be done in Greece and it proved just how well the process works. This method is the fasttrack combination to a superflat floor. Construction programmes can usually be reduced by significant amounts, giving a client/end user early occupation.

Project manager of Aktor SA, Vlassis Theodosiou, commented, “The laser grinding work carried out by Concrete Grinding Ltd did not interfere at any time with any other ongoing work. We had a very strict timetable and the whole constructing and grinding procedures of the floor went according to schedule without any deviation at all. We are extremely pleased with the overall results.”

Visit www.concrete-grinding.com for more information.