World Record Set At Atlantic Terminal
The date was Saturday, March 27, 2004. I showed up to the jobsite that morning not knowing that I would be witnessing history. I was there to give technical support to the contractor on the project, East Hills Metro.
I saw a large box truck parked on the street with Drytek Super Sacks lined up like dominos. Each Sack is equivalent to forty-four, 55lbs. Bags.
I first saw this pump truck unit in action a few months ago knocking out 15,000 Sq. Ft. in approximately an hour. The pumps that I have used in the past typically place 15,000 to 18,000 Sq. Ft. in a day. WOW! How things have changed.
I followed the hose from the pump truck down a long corridor, up four flights of stairs and across the entire Target retail center floor. There was more than 500 feet of hose!
When I finally reached my destination, Mike Schilling, from East Hills Metro, greeted me. Mike told me their goal was to finish the entire store, 124,000 Sq. Ft., in just one day. I did not believe him.
The pump started at 8:35 A.M. and continued running until 8:45 P.M.
The substrate was burnished concrete with many hairline cracks throughout. The cleaning and priming were done the day before. Using Drytek 7800 would eliminate the need to shotblast and help bridge over the cracks because it was fiber-reinforced. It was a good choice.
Drytek 7800 started flying out of the hose as the men began spreading and smoothing the material. Conditions were ideal, substrate temperature was 62°, ambient temperature 68°. Production went on like this, all day, without a hitch.
At the end of this historical day in Brooklyn, NY, Mike and I sat and talked about how the Drytek product line would create greater opportunity for self-leveling products in the future. These products drastically reduce the amount of surface prep required and can also be applied to concrete with much higher moisture levels than other products allow.
We went on to discuss how in the future, concrete slabs will only need to be rough-finished and topped with a thin layer of low-alkali self-leveling cement, like Drytek. And how this will dramatically shorten the project production cycle and help to insure a higher standard of quality while at the same time alleviating common problems like tile disbonding and buckling. Imagine pouring a slab and gluing down VCT, all well within a one month period, without problems?! Well, more on this in another article. Until then, I can be found somewhere in the field witnessing future in the making.
Remember, records are made to be broken.
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