Safety, durability, chemical resistance and hygiene are paramount concerns for the food & beverage industries, and the choice of flooring plays a pivotal role in ensuring a seamless and efficient operation.
To address these challenges and provide the food & beverage sector with a high-performance flooring solution that not only delivers on slip resistance, durability and resistance, but that also meets stringent regulatory standards set by governing body HACCP International, Vebro Polymers has two heavyweight solutions in our resin flooring arsenal.
While the two PU concrete flooring systems offer similar benefits, vebrocrete HF and vebrocrete RT have a number of unique attributes that cater to specific F&B processing environments.
Understanding food & beverage processing flooring requirements
While the specific requirements of different food & beverage production facilities, as well as the individual areas within each, might vary, there are a number of key considerations that generally apply across the board.
Hygiene
Processing facilities must adhere to stringent regulations and guidelines set forth by health authorities to safeguard consumer well-being, so hygiene is of utmost importance in the F&B industry.
The flooring must be impervious to contaminants and resistant to bacterial growth, while also resisting the constant exposure to spills, chemical agents and organic matter to withstand harsh cleaning procedures without compromising the integrity of the surface.
A seamless application of the flooring system is equally crucial, as joints and crevices can become breeding grounds for bacteria and compromise sanitation efforts. A well-designed flooring solution eliminates such risks, allowing for smooth and efficient cleaning routines.
High traffic
Food & beverage processing areas are subjected to heavy foot traffic, the movement of machinery, and the potential impact of dropped objects. A robust flooring solution that can endure heavy loads and resist abrasion is vital to ensure long-term durability and minimise maintenance costs.
The floor’s ability to resist damage is also contributory to the facility’s overall hygiene by reducing the potential for dents and cracks where bacteria could form.
Temperature swings
Extreme temperatures are common in food & beverage processing facilities, particularly in environments where there are hot cooking processes or cold storage and freezers. Additionally, extreme temperature swings can occur, where the floor can experience both hot and cold temperatures within a short space of time – perhaps typically mild areas of the processing facility that are exposed to hot water washdowns, or processing spaces where ingredients are stored on ice.
A flooring material with excellent temperature and thermal shock resistance ensures stability under varying temperature conditions, preventing damage over time.
Safety concerns
Slip and fall accidents are a significant concern in the F&B industry, particularly in areas where ingredients spills are common or where the floors are often wet.
The flooring must offer a slip resistance profile that is tailored to the requirements of the space, even when subjected to moisture or grease, to protect the well-being of employees and visitors and to prevent production disruptions caused by accidents.
Introducing vebrocrete
Vebro Polymers’ vebrocrete range of PU concrete flooring systems comprises a range of options that cater to varying application scenarios.
From lower profile, smooth textured finishes for medium duty spaces where temperatures are less extreme, through to 9.0 mm systems that suit the most punishing of food processing environments.
vebrocrete HF and vebrocrete RT sit at the heavy-duty end of this spectrum, delivering surfaces that are incredibly durable and chemically resistant.
vebrocrete HF (with the HF standing for heavy-duty flooring) is hand finished using a trowel and steel float to achieve the desired thickness, while vebrocrete RT (with RT standing for rake & trowel) is — you guessed it – installed using a rake, then finished with a trowel and steel float to level the surface.
The latter proves faster on-site, meaning a larger area can be covered per day. This is ideal in facilities where minimising day-joints, for example to accommodate large, heavy plant machinery with multiple loading points across a large area, is critical.
Both 6.0 – 9.0 mm PU concrete options are strong, seamless, low-maintenance flooring systems that are ideal for areas with high foot traffic and heavy machinery. Extremely resistant to impact, abrasion and chemicals, the two systems are also very easy to clean, with no need for waxing or buffing required.
FeRFA is the UK’s leading trade association for the industrial and commercial resin flooring, screeding and surface preparation industries.
The leading authority for over 50 years on resin flooring systems, FeRFA has led the way in promoting the benefits of resin flooring as a high-performance solution for industrial and commercial applications, as well as taking a leading role in developing national and international standards for resin flooring, screeding and surface preparation.
In line with BS 8204-6, Section 6.2, FeRFA divides polymer flooring into eight groups that define the specific criteria of a polymer floor — ranging from light duty floor sealers, through to extremely hardwearing trowel finished aggregate-filled floor systems.
Both FeRFA type 8 – trowel-finished, aggregate filled systems effectively impervious throughout their thickness – vebrocrete HF and vebrocrete RT are at the top end of hardiness.
All systems within the vebrocrete range are HACCP International Certified as safe for use in food processing environments.
Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) is the most internationally recognised system based on the production of safe food.
It is a preventive risk assessment tool that takes a careful look at food safety hazards and provides guidelines to guarantee that the facility, its equipment, staff and working processes never constitute a health or hygiene hazard.
Contributing to this certification, the seamless nature of vebrocrete HF and vebrocrete RT creates a seamless, joint-free finish that limits the ability of bacteria and germs to fester. Not only that, the lack of seams or grout lines make for a much easier cleaning routine.
Both monolithic systems offer excellent resistance to extreme temperatures and thermal shock, resisting as low as -40°C and as high as 120°C, making them ideally suited to cold storage or areas where hot water washdowns are a common occurrence.
Their impressive resistance to harsh substances makes both vebrocrete HF and vebrocrete RT ideally suited to industries where extreme chemical attack is a given, including alcohol, confectionery and pickling.
Although both heavy duty PU concrete options deliver a positively textured surface that helps to improve traction underfoot — even in wet areas or where oils, chemicals or other liquid ingredients have been spilled – if extreme slip resistance is required, vebrocrete HF offers a slightly more high-texture finish, while the surface profile of vebrocrete RT is considered medium- to high-texture.
vebrocrete in action
Vebro Polymers heavy-duty PU concrete systems have been chosen for high profile projects across the UK and beyond. Here are a couple of projects you might enjoy reading about…
That’s a wrap
And there you have it. Vebrocrete’s hygienic heavyweights offer a number of overlapping performance benefits, but there are a handful of differences between the systems that allow facility owners, operations managers, PU concrete applicators and flooring specifications professionals to choose the most appropriate option to meet project requirements.
