Any ideas for freezer warehouse slab with heavy forklift traffic?

[MJNeedHelp]

A freezer warehouse was constructed 3 years ago. Specifications for the freezer topping slab were 40MPa concrete, 4-8% entrained air. No hardening agent or surface densifiers were used. Internal concrete slab received hard trowelled finish. High reach forklift truck with hard (non-pneumatic) wheels provides cyclic loading to the slabs. Slabs are exhibiting surface scaling / flaking /delaminations (not yet confirmed by testing) but rectification will be required.
What is likely cause of the surface problems?
Would these problems likely be occurring if the forklifts had pneumatic tyres?
What specification should be recommended for this type of application? Durability needs to consider freezing (although not cyclic freezing / thawing - constantly operating at -23 degrees celcius) and also repetitive forklift traffic with non-pneumatic tyres.
Any advice?

 

[darthsoilsguy2]

i'm having trouble understanding the post..... Does the slab they drive on have a trowel-finish to concrete with a 4-8% air content?

 

[MJNeedHelp]

correct

 

[darthsoilsguy2]

Providing a trowel finish on air-entrained concrete is risky business for this very reason. Although i've worked with materials testing for butterball, smithfield foods, and few budweiser dist facilities.... it has been too long and i just cannot remember if floors had air and whatever other admixtures. I do remember those slabs being a very big deal. I will say it is common for these types of facilities to have hard tires on their forklifts.

There is a lot of information on this out there in the world about troweling and air-entrainment. Here is an article from a magazine i use to subscribe too.

http://www.concreteconstruction.net...ir-Entrained Concrete Floors_tcm45-343501.pdf

 

[1gibson]

Sounded familiar

http://eng-tips.com/viewthread.cfm?qid=345124

 

[darthsoilsguy2]

Looks like i was late to the party 1gibson.