CONCRETE FLOORING
JILLIAN SZACHURY
Figure 1: Concrete flooring is not only used commercially, but can be used residentially as well to help achieve an industrial, modern feel.
Although the solidity of concrete can be seen as a great quality to have, this characteristic can also be seen as very negative, where we see this material having a lot of impact on our environment:
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Concrete can resist nature for decades and then suddenly amplify its impact.
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Concrete is responsible for 4-8% of the world’s CO2.
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Half of concrete’s CO2 emissions are created during the manufacture of clinker, the most-energy intensive part of the cement-making process.
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Concrete is a very absorbent material, sucking up almost a 10th of the world’s industrial water use. This often strains supplies for drinking and irrigation.
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It worsens the problem of silicosis and other respiratory diseases.
Although there are some negative impacts with using this material, we see concrete being used for building purposes and design purposes too very often, due to its sustainability. There are many reasons for why concrete is a sustainable building material:
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Long life- Concrete structures are long-lived, such as pavements that have an average service life of 30-50 years.
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Low life-cycle cost - Concrete consumes minimum materials, energy and other resources for construction, and requires little to no maintenance throughout its service life.
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Safety and reliability - Concrete does not rust, rot or burn. Concrete pavements are less susceptible to damage from heavy vehicles, is easier to see at night, ensures shorter vehicle stopping distances in bad weather and requires fewer work zones over the life of the pavement.
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Resilience – concrete is resistant to natural and man-made disasters. Because of its durability, concrete structures will not require additional carbon release to produce additional materials used for repair.
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Fewer traffic disruptions - Concrete pavements do not require lengthy lane closures, with roads able to reopen within as little as six hours. This reduces time-in-traffic auto emissions.
Figure 5: Concrete flooring can also bring light into a space as well, where it can be found in lighter shades.
Concrete is used for many different purposes, one of those purposes being flooring. This versatile material can be used for any sort of style of preference, where there is a large variety of concrete floor finishes to choose from. There are a lot of pros to using concrete for flooring in the interiors or exteriors of homes or buildings. For example, it is hard to put a dent in this material, and is resistant to chemical damage. Concrete is also very sturdy, where scuffs and scratches are not a problem or seen in concrete flooring. Concrete surfaces are also relatively easy to clean as they are water resistant. Its smooth and shiny surface makes it resistant to dirt too, making it easy to sweep and dry mop. It only needs occasional wet mopping and only if it has become dull due to dirt and dust. It does not require regular waxing or buffing because the polish acquired after the grinding process provides a permanent shine. It may need a resealing after every couple of years, depending on how much foot traffic it is exposed to.
Figure 2: Concrete can also be used for staircases, which achieves a more modern feel to an interior space.
ASTM's concrete standards are meant to evaluate and test this material before usage. Some tests are listed below:
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C183 / C183M - 16 Standard Practice for Sampling and the Amount of Testing of Hydraulic Cement
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C465 - 19 Standard Specification for Processing Additions for Use in the Manufacture of Hydraulic Cements
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C418 - 20 Standard Test Method for Abrasion Resistance of Concrete by Sandblasting
There are also other organizations that test this material as well, such as:
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American Concrete Institute
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LumiCon
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American Society of Concrete Contractors
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National Concrete Precast Association
Concrete is very versatile in the way that it can be used for a lot of different things: we see this material being used for flooring, walls, countertops, as well as for structures of buildings, dams, and so much more. All of images displayed on this page are just a few examples as to how this material is utilized in interior spaces, where we see it being used in living rooms, kitchens, bathrooms, and even bedrooms of homes. Because this material can be found and purchased in a variety of colors, this sturdy material can be displayed in many different styles of homes too. The image on the left presents a light washed concrete flooring, which brings a lot of light into the interior space, and brightens up the kitchen area of the home. This type of flooring, along with any type of concrete flooring, has minimal maintenance, where the only necessary maintenance needed is to dry mop every so often to avoid collection of dust or dirt, or wet mopping the flooring in order to maintain its true shine and beauty.