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Madrid Engineering Group, Inc. was involved in the removal and replacement of an ailing subgrade/concrete floor slab system for our client, Packaging Corp. of America. PCA’s Auburndale facility was purchased as an existing structure and converted for cardboard packaging production. Years of post-transformation traffic by heavily loaded paper roll-bearing fork trucks levied a heavy toll on the modestly designed original slab and soils beneath. In turn, the unstable floor was beginning to hasten the rate of wear on the fork trucks and other equipment. The continued operation of the production facility was imperative for PCA. MEG was contacted to develop a solution.

MEG personnel, working in close step with the PCA Maintenance Division, developed a comprehensive plan to rebuild the floor system from the subgrade to the surface while maintaining full production capacity. The solution was to divide the floor space into 12 sections, each to be demolished, excavated,backfilled, and re-poured in the space of one weekend, in order to keep the majority of the floor at any given time.

To address the insufficiencies of the original floor system, and to expedite the process, several non-standard measures were designed into the new system: -Two layers of geotextile materials were sandwiched into the new subgrade to help increase the final bearing capacity of the system. -A steel fiber concrete mix design strengthened the new slab while allowing the floor to flex under the high point-loads of the fork trucks. -A high strength concrete mix was used in conjunction with chemical additives at the pouring stage to decrease set time while allowing finishers the time needed to provide a very hard and smooth surface. -Armored steel joints were employed at the junctions of each section to increase the final durability of the system.

This project was a showcase of MEG’s ability to innovate within specialized constraints presented by our clients at every stage of a project. From site inspections, geotechnical investigation, design considerations, and planning, MEG can be innovative to fulfill your special requirements.

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