No Beef With This Floor ProjectCustomer: Kinnealey Meats Major meat suppliers needed a sturdy concrete floor system after it moved into a new building. The meat processing business has changed a great deal since the family-run T.F. Kinnealey Co. in Boston began supplying high-quality beef and poultry to New England's finest restaurants in 1939. While the standards of quality and customer service may have been constant. Production techniques haven't. To more efficiently service their clients and to better-accommodate their growth, Kinnealey Meats bought an existing 70,000-square-foot industrial building in nearby Brockton, Mass. John Kinnealey, president, looked at the expansion as an opportunity to build a state-of- the-art processing facility that is efficient, cost-effective and environmentally responsible. To accomplish this move, Kinnealey hired CMC Associates of Quincy, Mass., to design and manage the transformation of the existing building into of the meat purveyor's new headquarters. CMC Associates, a specialist in construction for the food and beverage industry, recognized the challenges posed. Specifically meat processing plants require special floorings. Floor wear comes in many forms. Food processing floor surfaces are exposed to mechanical wear from forklift tires, totes, and other heavy equipment. Impact damages could come from dropped tools and hoses. Because of constant cleaning, the surface receives thermal shock, thermal cycling, and steam cleaning. And along with all these forces, the coating must tolerate exposure to sugars, oils, chemicals cleaners, sanitizers, spilled products, and processing liquids. To meet these challenges at Kinnealey, the project team determined that a seamless flooring system from Dur-A-Flex Inc. would be ideal. The existing concrete slab was replaced to install new trench drains. The concrete was sloped to the drains so there would be no standing water after washdowns. The contractors also poured new concrete curbing around the processing room's perimeter. At the same time, they installed a 45-degree cant base at the intersection of the new curbing and floor. This resulted in a very cleanable surface where bacteria has no chance to harbor and grow because worn out concrete slabs on meat processing facility floors violate U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) standards and may present the risk of potential shutdowns. Northeast Safe-T Solutions of Londonderry, N.H., treated the floor and curbing. The crew chose the Hybri-Flex EB hybrid flooring system from Dur-A-Flex. Every day, there are considerable amounts of water sprayed onto the floors for cleaning. Maintaining a sanitary environment was one of the reasons the meat processing plant's owners chose a seamless flooring system. It is crucial to their business that they maintain the standards set by the USDA. The Hybri-Flex EB system is designed for the abusive conditions found in these types of food processing facilities and features exceptional durability. The system tolerates the frequent high temperature wash downs, and it stood up to the abusive environment present in the plant. The first step in the installation process was to profile/prep the floor. The contractor shot-blasted and keyed out the areas around the drains. Workers then rolled out the urethane base and spread it out with a notched squeegee. They then broadcasted quartz aggregate so that it evenly lay onto the floor. Workers swept the excess aggregate with a stiff bristle broom. The process was repeated, and a topcoat was applied and the floor was left to cure. Another bonus from the product's selection was a quick on-time application. There was no need to wait for the hardened concrete floor to dry. Installing the Hybri-Flex EB system does not require a typical moisture mitigation system. Kinnealey stipulated the floor surface must provide ease of cleaning, thermal shock, chemical resistance, and durability. And finally, it had to be aesthetically pleasing for staff and visitors. Facility owners and staff continue to enjoy the benefits of the flooring system. It continues to perform as expected and the quality of the floor will function as intended for years to come. To demonstrate its commitment to their employees and the community, Kinnealey followed the guidelines outlined for sustainable construction as outlined by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). LEED certification assures that the project meets the highest green building and performance measures, and that the building is environmentally responsible, profitable, and a healthy place to live and work. The Hybri-Flex EB system helped to meet these standards as the coating system has a low VOC content, is manufactured regionally, and is made up of renewable resources. Dur-A-Flex Inc. |