News

LS^®, LS/CS^® approved for use in food-areas

NSF International has registered Consolideck^® LS^® (lithium-silicate) and Consolideck^® LS/CS^® hardener/densifiers for finished concrete flooring in its Nonfood Compounds Registration Program.

NSF Nonfood Compounds Registration assures inspection officials and end users that formulation and labels meet appropriate food-safety regulations.

The registration means that NSF International has reviewed the hardener/densifiers’ formulas and found that when used as directed, they meet standards for health and safety -- for both applicators and those who will be living and working on LS® and LS/CS® hardened/densified concrete floors. These products underwent a formulation review and label review to verify that they can be used in and around food establishments.

The formal registration will help when health-issue questions come up about the use of LS^® and LS/CS^® on floors in kitchens, grocery stores, cafeterias, food-processing areas, and other places where people are concerned about the indoor environment, according to Dwayne Fuhlhage, PROSOCO’s regulatory affairs director.

Health department inspectors look for and recognize NSF Registered products when inspecting these facilities.

"When the NSF logo appears on labels and product literature of registered products, it means that the product has been approved for use in food handling and processing areas, when used according to the manufacturer’s instructions," said Sarah Krol, General Manager, NSF Nonfoods Compounds Registration Program.

NSF’s program is a continuation of the USDA product approval and listing program, which is based on FDA’s requirements for appropriate use, ingredient and labeling review. Products eligible for NSF registration include compounds used in and around food establishments (nonfood compounds), such as disinfectants and lubricants, and those used for pre-processing of food, such as fruits and vegetable washing agents.

In addition to bearing the NSF Mark on Consolideck^® LS^® (lithium-silicate) and Consolideck^® LS/CS^® product labels, PROSOCO is also listed on NSF Web site, verifying to customers and regulators their commitment to food safety.

^LSKlean now in super concentrate

PROSOCO's new Consolideck^{® LS}Klean Super Concentrate packs hundreds of square feet of concrete-floor-cleaning power into about one ounce of easy-to-mix blue liquid.

That makes ^LSKlean Super Concentrate economical to transport, and saves valuable shelf and storage space. It also minimizes disposal costs for empty containers.

For those reasons, ^LSKlean Super Concentrate replaces the current ^LSKlean, which is also a concentrate, though not to this degree.

The new ultra-concentrated version of PROSOCO's popular lithium-silicate-containing maintenance floor cleaner is available in 5-gallon containers; cases of four 1-gallon containers; cases of six one-quart "tip & measure" containers; and cases of 36 4-ounce "pillow-pack" PAX containers.

The 4-ounce PAX is the ultimate in convenience. See the photos. You just cut or tear open the pocket-sized plastic package, and dump the fluid into a bucket or auto scrubber with five gallons of fresh water and a quick stir, and you're ready to take on hundreds, maybe even thousands of square feet of concrete floor.

Of course, exact coverage depends on what kind of floor, and the type and severity of the soiling you're removing.

This specialized blend of degreasers and detergents removes most common soiling found on concrete floors. It's ideal for concrete floors everywhere, from steel-troweled warehouse and manufacturing plant floors to burnished and highly polished floors in schools, stores, hospitals, restaurants and more.

^LSKlean Super Concentrate was made for regular maintenance cleaning, but is also perfect for light restoration cleaning of old concrete floors, says Joe Reardon, PROSOCO concrete products group specialist.

One ounce mixed with one gallon of clean water makes an effective daily maintenance cleaner. Mix two ounces per gallon for deep cleaning finished concrete floors.

^LSKlean Super concentrate bears the "LS" prefix because it contains a lithium-silicate hardener/densifier. The lithium-silicate component helps maintain and improve concrete hardness by hardening any "soft" calcium hydroxide exposed by traffic or abuse.

Though ^LSKlean Super Concentrate is specifically made for lithium-silicate hardened/densified floors, it brings its cleaning and hardening benefits to untreated concrete floors as well.

PROSOCO tests "Bag-in-a Box" for durability

August, 2008

SCRUNCH!

That’s the sound a forklift prong made recently when it rammed a 265-gallon Bag-in-a-Box full of water in the PROSOCO production facility.

It wasn’t an accident. The puncture was part of a series of tests to see how well PROSOCO’s new recyclable container system can stand up to the type of damage sometimes dished out at job sites and warehouses.

And how well did the Bag in a Box do? In one case, it survived a direct hit from a forklift prong better than a traditional steel cage-plastic tote, said Bruce Boyer, Vice President for Production. Bruce designed and oversaw the test program.

“The blade punctured the cardboard box, but the heavy water-filled plastic bladder inside gave way and stayed intact,” he said.

At the same speed, the forklift blade easily poked through the plastic tote. A geyser of water spewed from the side of the damaged plastic cube.

Pallets of five-gallon Bag-in-a-Box containers, along with 265-gallon Bag-in-a-Box totes got the test treatment. They were tested for stackability, incidental forklift contact, direct ramming, and dropping.

In the stackability tests, both totes and pallets of 5-gallon Bag-in-a-Box containers withstood many times their weight from heavy water-filled containers stacked on top.

In the incidental contact tests, forklifts “accidentally” scraped alongside the pallets and totes. While the contact left deep grooves in the double-walled corrugated cardboard containers, there was no breach.

Although the first direct ramming test failed to breach the plastic bladder of the 265-gallon Bag-in-a-Box tote, the determined forklift driver tried several times. He finally got the puncture – but unlike the plastic tote, there was no geyser.

Instead, there was just a slow seeping of water from the perforation.

The drop test results weren’t as successful as the other tests. Dropped on concrete from 10 feet up, both box and bag broke. That test led to a heavier corrugated cardboard box, Bruce said.

The new box has survived a fall from 3 feet, said Jeff Plumlee, PROSOCO’s production control manager. Jeff assisted with the testing.

Test conclusions?

“The Bag-in-a-Box showed strength and flexibility,” Bruce said. “But it’s not our traditional plastic container. While it’s superior in some ways, it’s different in others.

For instance, he explained, even though the cardboard Bag-in-a-Box has a water-resistant coating, it’s not going to stand up to weather like PROSOCO’s traditional plastic containers. The Bag-in-a-Box is best stored inside, or, if outside, then covered up.

“That’s going to a slightly different mindset,” Bruce said.

The payback is that the Bag-in-a-Box makes life easier for the end-user, he said. The box is recyclable. The bag, while not currently recyclable, drains completely enough to meet RCRA (Resource Conservation and Recovery Act) standards to be disposed of without rinsing – a job-site time saver.

“Those benefits – to our customers and our environment – are worth thinking a little differently,” Bruce said.

See for yourself:

• Durability Tests Video (Windows Media)
• Durability Tests Video (QuickTime)

LAUNCHED!

May 10, 2008

PROSOCO launches first-ever Consolideck^® Academy

The secrets of long-lasting finished concrete flooring stood revealed to a select group of contractors, distributors and manufacturer's reps at PROSOCO's first-ever Consolideck^® Academy, held in Kansas City and Lawrence, April 14-16.

The academy gave the 23 attendees the full picture of finished concrete flooring, from chemistry and installation, to performance-testing and long-term maintenance.

"Most installers know little of what happens to their floors after putting them down," said one of the Academy's founders, PROSOCO President David W. Boyer. "And most maintenance technicians haven't got a clue about how the floor was made. The result? Floors aren't prepared to stand up to the kind of maintenance they get, and the maintenance isn't suited to the floor.

"A floor that should last 10 years shows deterioration after two," David said.

The Consolideck^® Academy helps fix that problem by giving installers the full story on the delivery, care and feeding of finished concrete floors. The course takes its name from PROSOCO's Consolideck^® line of finished concrete flooring products, and the procedures for using them.

Graduates of the academy are prepared to install Consolideck^® floors, then brief facility managers and owners on how to take care of them. Even better, says Academy co-founder Van Crary, PROSOCO's concrete products group manager, the graduates can offer their own maintenance service program for the floors they install.

The Academy drew deeply from PROSOCO's well of professional expertise. Presenters came from the Lab, Production, Executive, Sales, Regulatory and Marketing departments.

Guest speakers from companies making associated equipment, such as grinders and polishers, and auto scrubbers rounded out the presentations.

Sessions included classroom seminars and discussions; hands-on products and procedures demonstrations on concrete slabs, and team-building exercises.

Forging Consolideck^® Teams was a main goal of the Academy, according to Concrete Products Group Manager Van Crary. When applicators who graduate from the academy go back into the business world, they're supported by their local Consolideck^® distributors and PROSOCO manufacturer's reps who went through the academy with them.

"That's going to give them marketplace traction that their competition, working alone, can't match," Van said.

"For instance, a Consolideck^® applicator, distributor, and manufacturer's representative all on a sales call together will be much more convincing to a potential client than a contractor alone," Van said.

"And with the advertising and marketing muscle that PROSOCO puts to work for its Consolideck^® Academy-trained applicators and distributors, there'll be a lot more sales calls; and a lot more sales, period," he added.

"The course was well worth the time," said Kevin Johnson, president of Polished Concrete Inc., Sauk Rapids, Minn. "With what we learned there, we'll be able to get jobs done faster, keep floors looking new longer, and do a better job for our customers."

Kevin said the hands-on ^LSGuard^™ application demo was especially helpful. "It goes on thinner than I thought," he said.

I'm really excited about the help with sales leads and marketing, he said. "I really liked what I heard about support at tradeshows, and with architects and AIA presentations.

"We went to another manufacturer's three-day course, a few years ago," Kevin said. "They promised us sales leads, too, but we never got a single one from them. We haven't gotten any from PROSOCO yet, either, but it's only been a week. I'm confident they'll come through."

For more info on how to attend upcoming Consolideck^® Academies, contact Van Crary, Concrete Products Group Manager at 520-241-0089, or e-mail Van Crary

Next Consolideck^® Academy Dates

Consolideck^® concrete flooring products earn indoor air quality certification

Feb. 7, 2008

We got it!

Four of PROSOCO’s Consolideck^® high-performance concrete flooring products for sustainable building construction and renovation have earned one of the industry’s toughest certifications for indoor air quality.

PROSOCO, Lawrence, Kan., is a national manufacturer of products that clean, protect and maintain concrete, brick and stone architecture.

SCS Indoor Advantage^™ Gold certification is the highest SCS (Scientific Certification Systems) certification level available for indoor air quality. Certification includes building materials, office and classroom furniture systems and components, and paints and adhesives.

This level of certification meets North America’s strictest indoor air emission criteria including California Section 01350, which sets health-based exposure limits to indoor air emissions for school children, and CHPS (Collaborative for High Performance Schools) for Low-Emitting Products.

SCS, Emeryville, Calif., is a leading third-party provider of certification, auditing and testing services, and standards.

The newly certified goods are Consolideck^® LS^™, ^LSGuard^™, and LS/CS^™ -- lithium-silicate hardeners, densifiers and sealers for concrete floors. Consolideck^® GemTone color stains for concrete also earned SCS Indoor Advantage^™ Gold certification.

In attaining the certification, these four products meet the strict requirements of California Section 01350, which sets health-based exposure limits to indoor emissions for school children.

SCS, which has been certifying green building products since 1990, awarded the certification after a thorough audit of these products' indoor air emissions. The detailed audit included small scale environmental chamber testing by independent laboratory Berkeley Analytical Associates, Richmond, Calif.

"SCS Indoor Advantage Gold is a health-based certification and sets the toughest limits on indoor air emissions in the building products industry," said Stowe Hartridge-Beam, SCS program manager for indoor air quality. "These four concrete flooring products have met a high bar for indoor air quality performance."

"Our products, from masonry and concrete cleaners and protective treatments to air barriers and our new Consolideck^® products for concrete floors, are meant for improving quality of life by improving and protecting the buildings we all live and work in," PROSOCO President David W. Boyer pointed out.

"These four just-certified Consolideck^® products in particular have great potential for schools, hospitals and other care facilities," he said. "With this certification, everyone who has anything to do with these products ; specifiers to parents of school kids ; can be confident as I am in their indoor air quality"

For more information, call Gary Henry at 785-830-7343 or e-mail Gary Henry