Automotive & Transport

BMW and MINI are some of the motoring industry’s biggest and most prestigious manufacturers. The Swindon site is part of BMW Group’s international production network for both BMW and MINI models.

Central Flooring Services have been working with BMW for more than 12-months on resin flooring projects. This time, it was a demarcation job which involved 3000 linear metres of line marking – with crossing and hatching walkways.

Project

Demarcation in four of their buildings for BMW and MINI.

Product

KDR line paint.

Preparation

Siddons Floor undertook the dust-free shot blasting to properly prepare the floor for the Central team to paint the line markings.

Project duration

Two weeks.

About the project

Planning for this project had to be meticulous – Central Flooring Services carried out all work during the client’s normal busy production and made absolutely sure that the work didn’t interrupt their flow. The team at BMW gave Central Flooring a ‘big thank you’ for delivering what was promised – a flooring finish that met with their expectations – and, for following to a T, their site health and safety regulations.

www.centralflooringservices.co.uk

Dean Transport, of Goole, is one of East Yorkshire’s expanding haulage companies, hauling goods around the country from cobbles to chocolate.

Running a fleet of trucks, trailers and tankers means there was a need for a maintenance workshop and tyre store on site. Having built a facility to suit their exact needs then required a full resin coating that would provide years of service.

Andrew & Charlotte Dean contacted Abacus Flooring Solutions and arranged a site visit. Abacus surveyed the garage and listened to their exact requirements and delivered them at a budget.

Abacus mechanically prepared the painted concrete to clean the concrete and leave a profile for the resin to adhere. They applied two coats of solvent free, coloured, high build coating in Dean Transport’s selected colours. This included the Pit Floor in a slip resistant coating.

Abacus then applied the coloured safety hatching to the perimeter of the pit, to include coloured guidelines, all in solvent free epoxy coatings.

The total works were carried out over one weekend visit and any disruption was kept to a minimum.

Abacus supplied a slip resistant floor decal showing the company name. The before and after photographs show the level of detail that Abacus Flooring Solutions go to on every project.

The coloured, solvent free coating is manufactured by Resdev, to which Abacus are one of their Approved Contractors.

Pumashield SF, is a solvent free, coloured, epoxy coating that is approximately 380 microns providing a minimum lifespan of around 5 years. The floor will then require only a light sanding prior to applying one coat.

Burton Bradstock Cars Director Sajiv Vij reached out to the Abacus Flooring Solutions team to help him deliver a much-needed solution for the firm’s showroom and other areas of their head office.

He explained: “We found Abacus on Google and then looked at the company website, which was professional. We spoke to somebody featured in one of the case studies who’d had a floor done and then filled out the form for a call back.

They advised on the best solution for new flooring for our car showroom, after we sent photos and information of our existing solution. They provided a great response and visited the site to provide an estimate.

It quickly became apparent that they are a very efficient and professional company, and I was amazed with the knowledge and experience that they have.

They have transformed the showroom. It now looks a lot more professional and is much easier to maintain.

I have been very pleased from start to finish and would wholeheartedly recommend Abacus Flooring Solutions to other businesses. We look forward to using again when we require their services.”

Abacus Flooring Solutions Founder and Managing Director Nick Megson explained: “The original showroom had vinyl tiles, carpet tiles and ceramic tiles throughout but, as they were not seamless, they were causing problems with spells and cleaning, and didn’t really showcase the vehicles in the way that the business wanted.

We received an enquiry, carried out a full survey and, after removing all of the old tiles, we fully ground the concrete using diamond grinders, primed the floor to ensure it was fully sealed and then applied a seamless, decorative flake system throughout.

This included the toilets, spiral stairs and entrance stairs, as well as the showroom floor itself.

In total, including preparation, it was a five-day project covering just over 200 square metres and we’re delighted to hear that Mr Vij and his team have been over the moon with the results.”

Abacus Flooring Solutions has completed another fantastic project, delivering the benefit of the company’s more than 30 years of experience to a motoring service garage.

Midland Service Garage is a family-run business based in Scunthorpe that provides vehicle servicing, repairs and MOT tests. They also provide diagnostics, clutches, welding, free local pick-up and delivery.

Midland specialises in Volkswagen, Audi, Seat and Skoda repairs using near dealer level equipment.

Director Darren Quibell explained: “We contacted Nick after seeing his work on LinkedIn.

We weren’t sure what we wanted but Nick guided us through all of our decisions.

We instantly knew that Nick wasn’t there to sell us a product, but he sold us his experience.

From planning to finished article, Nick contacted us every day to make sure we were happy with the work and talked us through each step.

The floor is unbelievable and has exceeded all expectations.”

Abacus Flooring Solutions Founder and Managing Director Nick Megson provided an insight into the process.

He explained: “The first step for this project was for it to be surveyed. This included checking for damp and concrete strengths.

We use the latest in Tramex equipment and a Schmitt Hammer to test the concrete. This ensures we can provide a detailed report and with our material suppliers and can agree on the optimum specification.

Once this was all agreed, we prepared a quotation and agreed everything with the customer.

We replaced the vinyl in the canteen with a seamless, decorative flake system and offered to take the flooring up one block of the wall. This increases the aesthetics and makes it easier to clean.

We also proposed to install hatching around the MOT Bay and, once all the new ramps are fitted, we will return to apply the coloured coatings under each one.

This coloured coating will represent the corporate colours of the garage.

The existing concrete floor had previously been painted many times by previous tenants, in fact some areas had a significant build-up of paint.

We had to mechanically prepare the concrete to remove all old coatings, whilst leaving a profile suitable to accept a resin coating.

Once the floor was fully prepared using single headed diamond grinders and then vacuumed the total area ensuring the concrete was free from any dust or debris.

We then mixed and applied the resin coating using a squeegee and back-rolled to ensure the coating was fully applied as per the manufacturer’s instructions.

Prior to the application of the second coat, we carried out final filling and repairs to the day work joints within the concrete.

The coating was supplied by Resdev, who have been manufacturing resin flooring products for over 40 years.

We were very pleased with the results and delighted to hear that the customer is too.”

Abacus Flooring Solutions has completed a shop floor installation for Venari Group, a specialist, innovative vehicle manufacturer based in Brighouse, West Yorkshire.

Venari Group is a premium quality builder of emergency vehicles and an equipment supplier for the emergency services.

The company prides itself on its unrivalled levels of quality, passion and obsession for customer satisfaction, delivered whilst driving British manufacturing to its fullest.

Abacus’s work for Venari was in the firm’s shop floor area, where many of its vehicles are showcased to visitors.

Venari Marketing Manager Aaron Francis explained: “The shop floor was already in reasonably good condition, but we were preparing to host a conference for AFOA, the Airport Fire Officers Association, which is a major event in our marketplace.

The event would see many of the industry’s key decision-makers and influential people visit us, so we wanted to ensure that our shop floor was extra pristine, delivering the best possible impression and reflecting the quality of our vehicles.

We enlisted the services of Abacus Flooring Solutions to deliver the shop floor installation and they spent some time at the start of the process levelling things off, getting rid of dints, holes and other small surface issues.

They then completed the installation and we were delighted with the finished product. The surface is a rich shade of grey, which has a brilliant sheen, and a shine that almost acts like a mirror.

This means it works great with our lighting and is the perfect solution for an area where we produce a lot of photography and promotional videos to market our products.

We believe that the quality of the flooring is the final piece of the puzzle for us, matching the quality of our vehicles and perfectly matching the branded walls and other features of the shop floor.”

The Harry Needle Railroad Company (HNRC) is the leading rail industry specialist in the leasing and maintenance of locomotives.

Established in Worksop more than 20 years ago, HNRC enjoys a strong reputation in areas such as locomotive storage, spot hire and maintenance/repair.

The work with customers nationwide and their service is built on the values of a commitment to safety, maximum security and value for money.

HNRC rail consultant Phil Webster enlisted the services of Abacus Flooring Solutions to deliver a seamless resin coating installation.

The work so far included safety demarcations and has been carried out in close consultation with the client.

Two projects have already been completed, with work starting on a third project this past week and a fourth already booked in.

Abacus Flooring Solutions founder and managing director Nick Megson said: “This has been a fantastic project to work on with our friends at the Harry Needle Railroad Company.

We’ve done two amazing projects and we’re already on with the third, and we’re making plans for our fourth.

As a business, we pride ourselves on establishing relationships that are built of the quality of our work and the level of our service, and we’re delighted to be providing those benefits to Phil and the team at HNRC.”

Our Client

BMW and MINI are some of the motoring industry’s biggest and most prestigious manufacturers. The Swindon site is part of BMW Group’s international production network for both BMW and MINI models.

Why they got in touch with Central Flooring

We’ve been working with BMW for more than 12-months on resin flooring projects. This time, they had a demarcation job for us which was 3000 linear metres of line marking – with crossing and hatching walkways.

About the project

Our planning for this project was meticulous – we carried out our work during our client’s normal busy production and wanted to make absolutely sure that we didn’t interrupt their flow.

On top of what we had planned, we were asked to carry out lots of additional work, which we still completed on time – no problem.

The team at BMW gave Central Flooring a ‘big thank you’ for delivering what we promised – a flooring finish that met with their expectations – and, for following to a T, their site health and safety regulations.

Altro Flow was specified to produce a high-end look whilst still providing a durable floor finish for this specialist Porsche workshop. The contract also included pre-levelling the concrete base which was out of tolerance, using Ardex K80 rapid drying levelling compound.

Rennsport 911 is a family-run company that specialise in upgrading classic Porsche 911’s to bespoke specifications at their base in the Cotswolds. Father & Son team of Keith & Paul Cockell wanted a high spec floor that reflected the ethos of the company, whilst creating the perfect working environment in their state of the art facility.

Unfortunately, the concrete base suffered from being poured on one of the hottest days of the year resulting in it being far from flat & level. Dips were identified & marked out so they could be removed using Ardex K80 rapid drying floor levelling compound.

Once the levelling compounds were cured, the whole area, totalling approximately 400m2, was prepared by diamond grinding prior to the application of the Altro Flow EP2000 epoxy resin system.

The high gloss finish would not be our standard recommendation for a workshop due to its low slip resistance, but in this precision engineering environment with high standards of housekeeping it was chosen as the best option.

Rennsport – Keith Cockell:-
“We have been exceptionally pleased with our investment in this floor finish. At Rennsport we take pride in creating beautiful classic cars in an environment that sets us apart from our competitors”

Tyremen, a local tyre and car service centre, contacted us for a long term solution to their busy service area. As the floor needed more than a coating to bring it up to standard, a 4mm flowable polyurethane was specified.

Following consultation with our sales and technical team, Ucrete MF was selected for use in this 200m2 vehicle servicing centre in Hull.

Initially the client had contacted us, showing interest in  a high build coating for his commercial garage. After speaking over the phone, we arranged a site survey to discuss the different variations of flooring systems and to get a better idea what would be the more suitable system for his working environment.

After pondering over the different options, it was the high durability of Ucrete MF that finally got the ball rolling and the idea of his floor lasting 10 times longer than any high build coating, making Ucrete MF the most cost-effective solution in the long term. The visual aspect was also a huge factor to consider as the client’s substrate was rough tamped concrete. Without grinding his floor for days, we were worried how the finish would look with only a seal coating being applied, not to mention how long the system would last in the busy environment.

The process then involved scabbling and grind off the shop-bought ‘do it yourself’ garage paint to clean the slap, remove high spots and provide a suitable key for the new flooring system. Small defects and imperfections were then made good, so we were guaranteed a smooth flat substrate free from any areas where the self-levelling compound could run into. Small cracks were then chased out, cleaned, and thoroughly vacuumed ready for the application of reinforced pro mesh. We then bedded the mesh in place with a skim of thixo modified epoxy resin to bring a ‘belt and braces’ factor to the new system.

4mm Ucrete MF was then laid and left to cure over the weekend. Finishing off with expansion joints and yellow demarcation to the MOT bay, the client was over the moon with his finished floor.

‘We found Lasercroft to be very helpful from start to finish, we are more than happy with the quality of work and will most definitely use them again in the future.’

PSC Flooring were called in by Newark and Sherwood District Council to look at their vehicle workshop area that they use for service and maintenance of all their refuse dispose vehicles and council vehicles.

The workshop area which was 320 square metres had signs of constant wear with residues of dirt and oil throughout and damaged localised concrete. The client was keen to bring the floor up to working standard so that the space was easy to keep clean and maintain with the large number of HGV vehicles that use it.

As with all vehicle workshops the recommendation from PSC was for preparation to remove the surface grime and create a key then a two coats high build epoxy resin flooring system.

The Workshop area was fully prepared using the totally enclosed doubled headed diamond grinding floor preparation machine with the edgework done by a handheld 110v diamond grinder. The area was then vacuumed clean to remove all residues and dust with 110v triple motor vacuum before localised areas of the damaged concrete were repaired using resin filler and resin screed.

Two coats of Resdev Pumatect high build epoxy resin flooring system gloss in the client’s chosen blue were applied and finished off with 200mm edging lines in Resdev Pumatect V high build epoxy resin in safety yellow around 2 x HGV pits, 2 x rolling roads and ramp area.

The job was split over 2 consecutive weekends to ensure the busy workshop could continue to function as normal.

Wye Valley Group a busy waste recycling centre, based on Rotherwas Industrial Estate, Hereford, called in PSC Flooring to look at refurbishing their floor surface in workshop area, totalling 788 square metres.

   
The 788sq metre Workshop had a newly laid concrete floor, however, in order to lay the two-coat epoxy resin flooring system, the floor required preparation. The main floor surface was thoroughly cleaned and prepared with a light shotblast and the edges using a handheld 110v diamond grinder. The entire area was then vacuumed clean to remove all residues and dust before any repairs were made to any damaged localised concrete, expansion joints, holes, and cracks.

Due to the fact that moisture readings taken at multiple points over the floor showed readings at between 230 to 240, the newly laid concrete floor was given a coat of Damp Proof Membrane epoxy resin primer in order to prevent residual damp left in the concrete rising and delaminating the epoxy flooring system. Once the primer was completely dry the two coat Resdev Pumatect high build, epoxy resin flooring system was laid in the client’s chosen light grey.

 
Finally a 200mm wide demarcation line was installed around two pit areas and Rolling Roads in Resdev Pumatect high build, epoxy resin flooring, safety yellow.

Mr Phil Pilcher-Morris, Construction Manager at Wye Valley Group said “The high build, epoxy resin flooring system laid by the team at PSC flooring has completely transformed the space, lightening and brightening the area”

PSC Flooring were called in by Shorade Accident Repair Centre located in Cannock, Staffordshire servicing the Midlands, Worcestershire and Bristol for Prestige vehicle paint and body work. Manufacturer approved by Rolls Royce, Bentley, Lamborghini, McLaren, Porsche, Tesla, Mercedes Benz, BMW, Mini and Volvo.

The 1430 square metre busy workshop floor had an existing epoxy resin floor surface, that although was in good condition for its age required resurfacing to give the high end look the client wanted.

The existing resin floor surface was thoroughly cleaned and prepared using the totally enclosed double headed diamond grinding floor preparation machine for the main and handheld 110v diamond grinder for the edgework.

The area was vacuumed clean to remove all residue and dust and repairs were made to damaged localised concrete, holes and large cracks as required using epoxy screed and resin filler.

The clients chosen design required Resdev Pumatect high build, epoxy resin flooring system, gloss, in Light Grey Ral 7035 to gangways and Mid Grey Ral 7047 to work bays with a 100mm demarcation line in Resdev Pumatect V high build epoxy resin, white around each area, dividing the mid grey areas into defined work bays and highlighting the gangways.

Refurbishing floor surface to the workshop area, laying two coats of High Build epoxy resin coating system to the whole 1430 square metres and laying epoxy resin demarcation lines to 365 linear metres was completed in just 5 days.

Contracted by Balfour Beatty, the IFT team installed the screed at the refurbishment of Queen Street Station, Glasgow.

The team installed over 2,510sqm of screed to various areas over the basement, ground and 1st floor levels, as well as the new ticket office.

The £120m redevelopment of Glasgow Queen Street station will create a contemporary and fully accessible transport hub, and is part of the Edinburgh / Glasgow Improvement Programme (EGIP), a Scottish Government investment in the railway infrastructure across central Scotland.

IFT was contracted by to install the resin flooring to the new £11.3m state-of-the-art Scottish Fire and Rescue Service training centre located in Newbridge, Edinburgh. The site provides many training facilities including classroom learning; road traffic collision (RTC); domestic, industrial and commercial building training; urban search and rescue; petrochemical; and working at height.

The product installed was Flowfast Terrosso. This is a seamless, decorative, hard wearing acrylic resin floor finish which has been developed to enable very fast track applications, therefore dramatically reducing programme time. It is ideal for public areas, shops and showrooms, department stores, designer outlets, airports, restaurants, garden centres, schools and hospitals.

FLOORING SOLUTIONS FOR RAILWAY STATION REFURBISHMENT

Weekend refurbishment using Sikafloor Pronto breathes new life into rail station, Central London

The Everlast Group needed to use fast-curing and proven systems in this refurbishment project at Euston Railway Station, London. With more than 120,000 people passing through the station daily, the main constraint of the project was always going to be time.

Using both Sikafloor® Pronto and Sikadur® for repairs allowed them to transform a highly trafficked 300sqm ramp area of the station in just one weekend, allowing shops to remain open and minimal disruption to passengers.

As the new system was to be laid directly over a tiled substrate, Everlast repaired cracks or breaks in the surface using Sikadur® – a high-performance, high-precision, moisture-tolerant, epoxy grouting system, which meant no dust or disruption, and then over coated using Sikafloor® Pronto system.

Why Sikafloor® Pronto?

Sikafloor® Pronto systems speed up installation times to the maximum, even at low temperatures. They have a high resistance to a wide variety of uses and the super-fast curing time of these synthetics allows for super-quick refurbishments.

Their proven high-performance advantages also add long-term value for the client, as they have a static and dynamic bridging capacity, good impact and wear resistance, good chemical resistance, are suitable for dry and wet conditions and impermeable to liquids etc.

Euston station, Central London commented:

“Well done team. A great job done. Our customers have really appreciated this piece of work!” #puttingpassengersfirst “

Flowcrete has been involved in the construction of the world’s longest sea crossing bridge, the remarkable Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macau Bridge (HZMB). 

The $20 billion development has been built to link the three cities of Hong Kong, Zhuhai and Macau together for the first time. The scale and ambition of the project is truly unique, as the 55-kilometre (34 mi) bridge–tunnel system includes a series of three cable-stayed bridges, an undersea tunnel and four artificial islands.

This unique feat of civil engineering faced some truly unique challenges, thanks in large part to the vast distances that it covers and the fact that it would have to support tens of thousands of passengers every day.

To make sure that the project’s innovatively designed Hong Kong Boundary Crossing Facility (HKBCF) would be able to cope with these pressures, 43,000 m² of Flowcrete’s cementitious subfloor screed solution, Isocrete K-Screed, was supplied.

Francis Tang, General Manager of Flowcrete Hong Kong, said: “The Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macau Bridge is central to the Hong Kong government’s plan to improve connectivity in the region and we’re proud to have been involved in the construction of an important section of the bridge’s infrastructure.

“The vast numbers of people that the crossing facility would have to accommodate on a daily basis meant that the floor in the HKBCF had to be as robust and reliable as possible. Isocrete K-Screed was ideal for this, as it has been specifically designed to rapidly provide a high-performance, long lasting screed layer for large and demanding construction projects.”

Situated on a 130-hectare reclaimed island, the HKBCF provides a strategic multi-modal transportation hub for the western Hong Kong side of the bridge. If the floor failed here, then it could lead to a long list of safety and operational concerns!

Isocrete K-Screed is a durable, semi-dry cementitious screed system that incorporates a proprietary additive to produce an early drying, high-strength screed. These properties mean that large-scale developments can speed up the process of applying the screed without sacrificing on critical structural and functional properties.

Flowcrete’s specialist screed system was applied in thicknesses ranging from 75-150mm across the site, including in the customs, clearance and departure halls as well as in the baggage handling area, back-of-house maintenance facilities and the overhead rooftop garden. Inside the HKBCF, Isocrete K-Screed proved to be the ideal platform on which to install the tile finish, creating an attractive and impressive floor area.

A unique car washing and leisure experience in Ballito has installed a bright and vibrant floor from Flowcrete that matches the site’s energy and attention to detail.

Designed from the ground up by its owner, Machine WashWorx is a new venue that provides petrol heads with a relaxing space in which to enjoy a quality cup of coffee while waiting for their vehicle to be washed and detailed to the most exacting standard of car cleanliness. 

Flowcrete was tasked with providing a number of flooring solutions that would convey Machine WashWorx’s distinctive branding while being able to withstand the water, cleaning chemicals, foot traffic, automotive oils, impacts and other challenges inherent to a car washing facility. 

Craig Blitenthall, Vice President of Flowcrete South Africa, said: “Getting Machine WashWorx’s floor just right presented us with a fun and challenging project. The bespoke, high-end environment that the client wanted to create called for floors that would convey their image while simultaneously supporting the site’s demanding car cleaning activity.

“Our resin flooring collection was perfect for this task, as each system has been made with the dual principles of design and durability at its core. This meant that Machine WashWorx could rest assured that the finish underfoot would provide a safe, clean and colourful surface to impress their high-end clients.” 

Machine WashWorx is no ordinary car wash, as its meticulousness sees cars roll through a custom cleaning area that not only includes a conveyor belt where the car is washed by hand but also specialist bays for vacuuming, polishing and even buffing the engine!

800 m² of the flexible and solvent free polyurethane coating system Deckshield ID was applied across the car wash and parking areas. Originally designed to provide long lasting surfaces in large, multi-storey car parks, this was the ideal solution to cope with the onsite conditions.

The Deckshield ID was manufactured in a vivid yellow and urban light grey that exactly matched Machine WashWorx’s corporate colours. This ensured that the floor mirrored the wall coatings and other key elements of the carefully considered, industrial-style interior design scheme. 

To make sure that the site is safe for staff and visitors, extra slip resistance was added to the wash bay’s ramps. Suede additive, a fine sand-like powder, was incorporated into the coating to enhance traction underfoot without creating an overly-rough effect.

In the adjacent coffee shop the floor also had to convey the same aesthetic while withstanding foot traffic and point loading from items such as heavy tables made from car engines. 120 m² of the decorative epoxy coating Peran STB was installed to create a glossy, light grey floor area that would be both on-brand and easy to keep clean should any food or drink spill onto the floor. 

In Machine WashWorx’s back of house storage area, 80 m² of the hard wearing and self-smoothing epoxy system Flowshield SL was used to provide a reliable floor for an extended period of time.   

To find out more about how to create an attractive and long lasting floor area that’s unique to a business, get in touch with Flowcrete’s expert team today by emailing uk@flowcrete.com.    

ACC Flooring was asked to install a flooring solution in the showroom of a bus and coach distributor in Wakefield.

The client is the sole UK and Ireland distributor of Yutong buses. The company was founded in 1919 and now employs 55 technicians and 35 parts staff in support of the vehicles they sell. Their portfolio includes in addition to Yutong, DAF, LDV and MAN heavy goods vehicles, Rasco snow ploughs and snow gritters, Kubota engine parts and engines, Kohler engine parts, Lombardini engine parts and Deutz engine parts. Yutong is the largest bus and coach manufacturer in China with 33% of the Chinese market and 10% of the global market. They are also the largest global manufacturer of hybrid and electric buses and coaches. After listening to the clients’ requirements, ACC Flooring recommended a high build epoxy coating system with a high gloss finish which would complement the vehicles on show. The substrate to the 260 square metre area was prepared with enclosed vacuum diamond grinding equipment removing any laitance. Structural pads were also mechanically prepared & primer applied prior to the application of a polyurethane floor patching kit which is designed with the highest order of durability, impact and abrasion resistance. The expansion joints were cleaned out and re-instated using a polyurethane modified epoxy jointing compound which provides good chemical resistance and durability together with a degree of flexibility. Two coats of FeRFA Type 3 high build epoxy coating was installed in light grey offering good resistance to general chemical spills, good abrasion resistance whilst providing a robust, durable finish. The showroom was completed within a tight timescale and the client was delighted with the quality of the workmanship and the finished appearance. The showroom was opened shortly after the installation by Mr. Jin Xu, the Minister for Economic and Commercial Development at the Chinese Embassy in London.