Maximizing Safety With Polyaspartic Floor Markings

Project Overview

When a major heavy manufacturing firm relocated into an existing industrial facility, a series of extensive renovations were required to bring the site up to full production capabilities. Given the continuous operation of heavy forklifts and moving machinery, one of the most critical structural and safety priorities was the complete overhaul of the pedestrian pathway markings.

In any high-output industrial setting, establishing a definitive visual separation between employees and material-handling equipment is vital. Clearly marked paths drastically minimize the risk of pedestrian-machinery accidents. This coating project successfully brought the client's facility into OSHA compliance regulations and their 5S plan.

The Challenge

Industrial floors endure severe structural stress. Upon a detailed inspection of the existing concrete floors, the installation team identified cracks, gouges, low spots, and uneven dips left behind by the building's previous occupants. Applying a high-performance coating directly over compromised concrete can lead to aesthetic inconsistencies and premature bond failure.

To resolve these imperfections, the installers recommended installing a 1/8-inch cementitious overlay prior to coating. This specialized underlayment fulfilled several critical technical objectives:

• Leveled out dips and low spots.
• Filled deep gouges and micro-cracks.
• Provided controlled porosity and uniform adhesion across the floor, ensuring perfectly consistent coloration of the final topcoat.
• Established a high-bond, pristine surface for the subsequent polyaspartic application.

Phase 1: Mechanical Profile & Overlay Installation

Achieving a permanent, structural bond requires aggressive mechanical surface preparation. The installation team utilized industrial shot blasters to achieve the exact Concrete Surface Profile (CSP) required for the overlay to fuse with the base concrete. Shot blasting deep-cleans the concrete matrix, physically blasting away deeply embedded contaminants—such as oils, grease, and old tire rubber—that chemical washing cannot remove.

Following mechanical profiling, the 1,800 linear-foot pathway layout was mapped and taped. The cementitious overlay was mixed and precision-applied using cam rakes to guarantee an exact 1/8-inch thickness. The following day, an industrial concrete grinder performed a light refinement pass to open the concrete pores and flatten the surface. Technicians carefully ground all transition edges completely smooth, eliminating any trip hazards.

Phase 2: Coating Selection & High-Visibility Application

To prepare for the final safety markings, an additional 3,600 linear feet of masking tape was laid by hand to isolate the main walking corridors. The client selected a high-visibility Green and White color scheme to cleanly delineate the dedicated safe corridor where pedestrians maintain the right-of-way.

To meet the rigorous demands of this facility, engineers prescribed LABFAST 85 PLATINUM, a low-odor, high-solids polyaspartic floor coating from Labsurface. This specific material offered several performance and operational advantages.

Heavy Traffic Resilience: Exceptional abrasion and impact resistance prevents the safety lines from chipping, scratching, or peeling.

Low-Odor:  The coating was applied safely, allowing plant operations to continue uninterrupted.

Rapid Cure Time: The ultra-fast curing properties of polyaspartics compressed the installation timeline, facilitating an accelerated return to full service.

High-Visibility Color Retention: Advanced opacity technology delivers deep, uniform color holding power. Superior chemical resistance ensures the bright markings resist forklift tire friction (tire pickup), oil penetration, and harsh industrial cleaning agents.

Excellent Inherent Traction: LABFAST 85 Platinum boasts a dry Coefficient of Friction (COF) rating of 1.2 under ASTM testing, vastly exceeding OSHA standard pedestrian safety recommendations.

The LABFAST® 85 Platinum was mixed with parts A and B at a 1:1 ratio with pigments using an Eggbeater Mixing Paddle.  The mixture was poured directly onto the path and evenly pulled with a Notched 8-12 mil Squeegee.  Then it was back rolled to a uniform finish with an 18-inch, 3/8” Nap Roller by installers wearing Spiked Shoes.          

While the high-performance polyaspartic coating achieves a walkable state within a few hours, the team allowed the base green coat to cure overnight.

Phase 3: Precision Bordering & Multi-Coat Hashing

The next phase focused on executing the crisp white lane borders and doorway safety hash marks. Crews laid out Masking Tape along both shoulders of the green walkway. To guarantee flawless inter-coat adhesion where the white lines overlapped the green base coat, technicians performed a light mechanical sanding using 100-grit sandpaper.

The white boundaries were rolled out using 4-inch, 3/8-inch nap rollers. Leveraging the rapid recoat window of the polyaspartic material, the team applied two consecutive coats. These two coats yielded a sharp, brilliant white border that cleanly framed the green corridor.

Project Results & Source Materials

This comprehensive floor transformation was completed in just 4 days. The final result is a bright, clean, professional, and highly safe pedestrian transit network. These high-visibility markings are engineered to withstand up to a decade of heavy traffic with minimal maintenance.

• For Material & Equipment Support: If you are planning a similar facility upgrade, TSS Supply in Memphis, TN, inventories the complete line of Labsurface products, application tools, and industrial surface preparation rental equipment required to execute professional-grade floor systems.
• For Professional Installation: If your project demands an elite installation crew capable of delivering perfect safety compliance markings on time and on budget, IA Solutions is your premier regional industrial contractor.