In response to requests by architects and engineers to resolve consistency issues associated with quality levels achieved by polished concrete surfaces, the Concrete Sawing & Drilling Association has released two technical documents — an industry standard and a Best Practice.
CSDA Standard ST-115 Measuring Concrete Micro Surface Texture uses surface texture instead of gloss to evaluate polished concrete. A collaborative effort between the CSDA Polishing and Standards & Specifications Committees, it identifies approved instrumentation for measuring surface texture and provides a benchmark measurement procedure for contractors and specifiers to follow. The document covers important steps in the production of a quality floor system and gives useful guidelines associated with the testing and inspection of a finished concrete surface. In addition to all this, CSDA-ST-115 includes a standard process for documenting surface texture readings, a list of industry terms and definitions and a section on codes, symbols and charts to assist concrete polishers.
“The release of this Standard could not have come at a better time,” says Andy Bowman, chair of CSDA’s Polishing Committee, in a news release. “Some see the polishing industry as an unorganized group in need of consistent language, definitions and universal criteria. Now, CSDA has created a document with defining vocabulary that provides a consistent message throughout the industry. The challenge was to take artistic-minded techniques and adapt them to a more scientific approach. I feel we have achieved that.”
The accompanying Best Practice, CSDA-BP-015 Green Polishing and Grinding Practices, has been devised to help concrete polishing and grinding contractors create a detailed plan for performing their work in a more environmentally-friendly manner. It provides guidelines and recommendations for companies to employ on the job site, in the office or in the shop.
“One provides the industry with finite rules for measuring the surface texture of a concrete floor system, as well as giving set parameters to create high-quality polished concrete floors with consistency,” says CSDA executive director Patrick O’Brien in a release. “The other informs and educates polishing businesses about green practices, a constant hot topic within the concrete industry.”
Or, visit the Standards, Specifications, Tolerances and Best Practices page at the CSDA website.
