In a manufacturing plant the floor carries fork trucks, pallet jacks and fixed machinery, and meets oil, hydraulic fluid and cutting fluid spills every shift. It is delivered zone by zone around running production, with loads, spill resistance and limits agreed before mobilization. This guide covers substrate judgement, profile selection, phased handover, joint details, wear checks and sampling.

Scope covers production aisles, forklift routes, machine bases, coolant stations, rack storage and transition strips to resin or tile. Before crew enter, the PM confirms slab age, strength, coatings, cracks, joints and moisture; failed zones go into tender assumptions and a repair schedule, not a site argument after grinding starts.

Why polished concrete holds up under plant traffic

Production slabs are poured monolithically with the structure, so the floor is part of the substrate, not an added layer. Once laitance and weak paste are removed and pores sealed by densifier, the surface sheds no film to peel or chip under wheel traffic. A honed CSP 3–4 profile suits most workshops; mirror CSP 5–7 stays for display areas only, and spills are wiped within 15–30 minutes.

Load and substrate survey before equipment placement

Before mobilization the PM records every zone in a written survey: slab age, trowel finish, strength class, coatings, patches, cracks, joints and repair mortar. Soft, powdery areas are logged for repair; a slab reading CSP 1–2 after a light metal pass needs exposed-aggregate treatment first. Record moisture at probe depth, measure joints over 3–4 mm, and flag cracks over 0.3 mm for epoxy injection.

Profile selection under forklift and machinery loads

The working profile follows traffic, not appearance alone. Forklift routes and machine zones take a medium CSP 3–4 honed finish that locks grit in under repeated passes; fine CSP 5–7 near-mirror finishes scuff faster in high traffic. Run metal 16, 20, 30, 40 grit to open laitance; resin follows 100, 200, 400, 800, with 1500 or 3000 only where a higher gloss target is specified, lanes overlapping 100–150 mm under 300–500 lux raking light.

Oil, coolant and spill resistance in processing zones

Oil, hydraulic fluid and cutting fluid attack the surface two ways: staining through open pores, and weakening paste near the top. Densifier goes on dust-free at 1:64, about 15 ml per litre, first coat, 1:128, about 8 ml per litre, second coat, damp 20–40 minutes; wet zones check to R10–R12, dry PTV ≥36, wet PTV 10–20 below dry, DCOF ≥0.42 near spills. Work proceeds only while RH stays 75–80% and surface temperature 10–30 ℃.

Phased handover and work windows around running production

Plant work runs in blocks, not one continuous open floor. Divide the building into zones of roughly 200–400 m² per cluster, each with its own entry and cleanup path; forklift routes and machine bases are separate zones. The daily block runs a 4–6 hour overnight or weekend window, densifier areas closed overnight; foot traffic returns after 24–72 hours, equipment and racking after 5–7 days, and a long-held zone is split across two visits.

Joints, column bases and edge finish details

Saw-cut joints, construction joints and column bases are where plant floors fail first. Joints over 3–4 mm are cleaned, dried and filled with a matching semi-rigid sealant; column bases are hand-ground to match the surrounding profile. Edge strips against resin, tile or thresholds are hand-ground to the same grit; a mismatch over 1–2 mm shows under raking light, and expansion joints stay free to move without the engineer's sign-off.

Wear, impact criteria and acceptance sampling

Acceptance is agreed in writing before work starts, with limits tied to measurable checks. The table lists zone targets; each record carries zone, date, reading and sign-off. Sampling points go on the as-built drawing: one check per 200 m² in aisles, one per 100 m² on routes, plus every machine base and corner; gloss reads at 60°, adjacent zones differing by up to 5 units, a gap over 15 units requiring rework.

Common disputes, defects and handover briefing

Frequent disputes are wheel marks on fine finishes, white haze after densifier, oil staining in coolant zones, scratches after equipment returns, and uneven gloss near columns. Walk the final inspection with the owner representative against the tender schedule, marking defects by number before any rework is agreed.

1. Mark scuffed patches; if the profile was too fine for forklift traffic, regrind coarser or add protector.
2. White residue means densifier dried on the surface: light 400–800 grit wet pass; if set hard, return to 200 grit and wipe between coats.
3. Oil-stained zones are checked for open pores; strip and re-densify the area, then record spill history before blaming the finish.
4. Record scratches by location and depth; most come from grit on wheels or shoes, choose spot refresh or touch-up in writing.
5. Inspect joints, bases and thresholds by hand grinder; record edge match and flag skipped low spots before sign-off.

At handover, supply the finish schedule, grit sequence, product names and dilution rates, joint details, reading records and a maintenance note. Walk the floor with the owner representative and show where inspection points sit. Confirm every zone has a signed record; open items carry a date and owner. The surface changes slightly in the first 6–12 months as the wear layer compacts; dull patches near turns and aisles are normal wear.