Existing slab at new small format Bunnings store at Toombul revitalised with Retroplate Polished Concrete

Project Background

Bunnings Warehouse has, last month, opened a new store at Toombul Shopping Centre, in the northern suburbs of Brisbane. This new store marks a strategic move for the hardware retailer, from the warehouse style, big box format stores. Bunnings, Toombul is a part of the launch of small format stores, which are about the same size as a traditional supermarket and will be located in local shopping centres to provide shoppers with more product choice and the ultimate convenience.

Transitions were contracted to install a new floor finish on the existing slab for the new Bunnings Toombul store. The retail space at Toombul Shopping Centre has had a number of retailers utilise the tenancy in past years, each with different uses. Therefore the existing slab was handed over in a less than desirable condition for polishing.

Specification

Retroplate Polished Concrete
Existing slab
Gloss level of 60
Joint remediation

Scope

3,300m2 of Retroplate Polished Concrete
450Lm of joints (approximately)

Objectives & Requirements

Bunnings Warehouse has a required specification of Retroplate Polished Concrete floors. This requirement maintains a uniform look and feel for the brand throughout all of its stores and upholds the warehouse aesthetic. Additionally, Bunnings Warehouse requires a floor that is durable and can withstand a high and constant amount of foot traffic without aesthetically wearing. A minimum gloss level of 60 is also required, which assists with light reflectivity.

The existing slab in the Toombul tenancy was previously finished with vinyl tiles. This flooring material was removed from the slab, which left the concrete in a bad condition. The joints in the slab were badly spalled with some joints sitting at a 30mm height difference, which the client required to be level across the surface of the store. Additionally, large sections of the existing slab in the retail tenancy were in an unpolishable state due to previously being utilised as cool rooms and meat preparation areas. However it was required that the finish of these sections are consistent with those slabs that were in a polishable state.

Chosen Product

As per the required specification, Retroplate Polished Concrete was installed at the new Bunnings Toombul store in line with manufacturing guidelines to ensure adequate penetration and densification of the concrete.

The before mentioned, unpolishable areas, were topped with screed; a polymer-modified cement based topping, and then finished the same as the remainder of the slab with Retroplate applied.

The existing slab also required an extensive amount of joint remediation, over 450 lineal metres of it. The remediation process included grinding works to make the joints level and cutting to joints to ensure they were straight. From here the joints were filled with an epoxy mortar, recut and filled with 75 shore hardness polyurea.

Outcome

The outcome of the Bunnings Toombul polished concrete floor was fantastic, with Transitions exceeding the expectations of the finish achieved. All joints were successfully remediated creating a level floor with a consistent finish. Gloss levels and slip rating results met specification with the slip-rating test achieving a classification of D1 or moderate to low risk. The project was delivered on time, in 9 days, and on budget.