Project Background

The Capri on Via Roma shopping centre project is a $50million redevelopment of a waterfront shopping centre on the Gold Coast. Transitions completed extensive works at this project, including the diamond grinding and floor preparation of the rain damaged slabs in the basement car parks followed by the installation of an epoxy coating. To read more about this project as a whole, you may follow this link – It’s all about the concrete floors at Capri on Via Roma Shopping Centre, Gold Coast.

Specification

-       Epoxy Coating – Miteq W408

-       Clear Water Based x 2 coats

-       Diamond Ground Rain damaged slab

Scope

-       6,000m2

-       5 days to complete

Client Objective

The main objective for the flooring solution in the basement car parks at Capri on Via Roma was to achieve a great aesthetic whilst maximising on the floors functional properties. The client understood that being the car park, the first point of entry for majority of customers, it would also create the customers first impression on the shopping centre. For this reason, the client wanted the look and feel of the concrete floor to reflect that of the shopping centres branding; bright and up market. Furthermore, the floor finish was aimed to be easy to maintain and functional based on its future usage.

Client Requirements

Aesthetics aside, the concrete floor in the basement car park at Capri on Via Roma shopping centre had very set requirements. The concrete flooring solution chosen would have to encompass very good protective properties against oil leaks from vehicles, and would need to be easy to maintain with scrubbers and blowers from the in-house cleaning and maintenance team. Furthermore, the finished floor would be required to prevent concrete dusting, both for easy maintenance and to prevent the concrete dust being carried through, into the shopping centre.

Chosen Product

The chosen flooring product for the basement car parks at Capri on Via Roma shopping centre was a two step process. This included a process of floor preparation through diamond grinding, followed by the application of an epoxy coating.

Diamond grinding was required in the basement car park due to some of the concrete slabs containing rain damage. The diamond grinding process removed a chalky residue from the rain affected surfaces. This process was a requirement so that the epoxy could be applied within the manufacturer’s specification.

Following on from the floor preparation and diamond grinding process, an epoxy coating was chosen for the final concrete finish. The specific product chosen was two applications of Miteq W408, a clear water based epoxy. This product was chosen mainly due to its fantastic reputation of use in similar environments. It is well suited to high traffic areas and offers good protection against oils and spoilage that shopping centre floors can receive. This is not to mention that it has a long life span and was easy for the client to utilise their existing cleaning equipment at the shopping centre to conduct the cleaning and maintenance of the basement car park.

In terms of aesthetics, the epoxy coating chosen offered a high gloss level, which added light reflectivity in the basement and brightened up the space. Additionally, a clear product was chosen due to its inherent ability to conceal dust and spoilage in comparison with light grey epoxies. This creates a reduced need for maintenance outside of routines and adds to the continued up market aesthetic. The clear coating also highlights the line markings and safety markings more vividly, which too were sealed with the epoxy.

Overall Outcome

Transitions were able to achieve all objectives and requirements for the basement car park at Capri on Via Roma shopping centre. There was a consistent appearance between rain affected and unaffected concrete slabs from the floor preparation process. Light reflectivity was increased to brighten up the space and aesthetically the car park is impressive upon arrival at the newly developed shopping centre. The client was very happy with the outcome of the chosen flooring products installed by Transitions Polishing and Grinding.

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