Case History - Lafayette Sani-Wash

Lafayette Sani Wash operates a 3-bay truck wash designed for cleaning and sanitizing food grade bulk tankers containing such food products as corn syrup, vegetable oil, and chocolate. To accomplish this sanitation process, 190^oF water is used, along with such chemicals as detergent, caustic, phosphoric acid, and for the outside of the stainless steel tankers, dilute hydrofluric acid. Because such operations are frequently inspected by end users such as Coke, Pepsi, A.E. Staley, ADM, IN Board of Health, Bob Young from Lafayette insists that his floors be kept in pristine condition. Hence, the need for a chemical resistant coating, that also holds up to constant washdowns, heavy wear, occasional impact, and is easily cleanable and yet safe to walk on.

Bob has applied floor coatings in the past and chose to apply ICO's productis themselves. In light of the chemicals present, they selected ICO Guard Coating. The concrete was prepared by scarifying, followed by a coat of ICO Primer LV. After allowing to dry, a first coat of ICO Guard Coating was applied at about 80 SF/gallon and allowed to dry. A second coat of Guard Coating was applied at about the same coverage rate, yielding a total film thickness of 40 mils. A #12 white aluminum oxide was broadcast liberally onto the top coat and rolled in to provide a anti-slip finish. The large stone has proven more resistant to wear and is less likely to be jarred loose from the matrix.

One bay which had exhibited cracking was reinforced with a 2 ounce woven fiberglass scrim cloth in the first coat. After scarifying, all cracks were primed and covered with mesh, then the whole floor was primed and covered with the cloth and wet rolled into the LV Primer. This was applied heavy(28 SF/gal) to be sure the cloth was saturated and to also serve as leveling. After drying overnight, a slurry coat of 50% epoxy and 50% sand(25 SF/gal) was applied with a squeegee. This system has been used in a catch basin with great success and thus, was judged to be a more permanent solution to the moving slab. A side benefit of the reinforcement was the enchanced impact strength when heavy metal hoses were dropped on the floor.

The entire job was completed over a weekend and the bay was returned to service the next morning. The floor has been in use for several months and looks like the day it was put down. While these coatings have been used for years at Lafayette, Bob has indicated that he believes the quarter inch system, using ICO Guard 51, will be used in the future, as there will be less maintenance and repairs from the daily abuse of the coating from dropping of tools, hoses, and metal braces. Where slab movement is a problem, the fiberglass scrim cloth will be installed in the primer, followed by application of the trowelled system. As needed, a top coat can then be applied just for aesthetic purposes.

Back in 1995 when a new wash building for another company was built, Lafayette deep broomed the concrete when poured. After letting it cure, it was acid washed and power broomed to prep it, then a 3/8" mix was trowelled on. After 5 years of washing tractors 24 hours a day, this floor is holding up beyond all expectations.

For furthur questions on the above installation, you can contact Bob at 800-300-7873.