Other Case Studies
Analysis and Evaluation of a Bulging Floor in a Deep-Freeze Warehouse
A floor in a deep-freeze warehouse had risen significantly above usable tolerances. Deviations in height reached up to 14cm above 0. The original theory was that a lack of insulation let in moisture which caused the insulating floor to freeze. However, we later realized that there was no ice within the insulation itself, and potential forces would have come from below.
In order to determine the extent of the height deviations, a cross-line laser was used to measure 2m² surfaces in a grid, which were then documented.
A core drilling was conducted to find what caused the bulge, but no ice was found within the isolation.
For additional probing, the floor was opened and measured at multiple points. The findings suggested that the entire insulation had been lifted 14cm.
As a result, one could conclude that the bulge was most likely caused by the base floor freezing up due to a failure of the antifreeze subfloor heating. Moisture from various sources then formed ice, compressing and pushing up the insulation.
This meant that the user of the hall, whose responsibility it is to operate the antifreeze heating, and not the owner of the hall, was the responsible party as there were no problems with the construction.
For the reconstruction, an area of roughly 40m² had to have its floor removed down to the base slab, its foundation checked, compressed, and leveled as well as its base slab reconstructed. Furthermore, the seal, antifreeze subfloor heating, insulation, and upper surface of about 200m² had to be renewed.
All these processes could be completed with no disruption to the operation and use of the hall, thanks to our unique renewal concept.