Two products supplied by a.b.e.® Construction Chemicals were used for one of the biggest new flooring projects in KZN in recent years: the massive new Makro store in Cornubia, on the outskirts of Umhlanga, close to Mount Edgecombe where a.b.e.® is based.

The project was handled for a.b.e.® part of the CHRYSO Southern Africa Group. – by a.b.e.® KZN Technical Sales Consultant, Blaine Williams, and his Gauteng counterpart, Warren Trew, who has had a long association with the flooring contractors, CHC-SA Concrete Flooring, a preferred supplier to Makro and the rest of the Massmart SA Group.

a.b.e.® abe.® cron LA concrete hardener (CH), was applied over 17 000m² of the new Makro floors, following a decision by Chris Howes, CHC-SA’s founder and MD, to opt for a “user-friendly’ product with reduced working time to cope with the dimensions of the project. abe.® cron LA CH is a non-metallic level assisting (LA) natural aggregate dry shake surface hardener – a ready-to-use product for hardening industrial, commercial and residential concrete floors. In line with the Chryso® SA Group’s policy on sustainability, abe.® cron is one of the wide range of dustless self-levelling cementitious products, grouts, and plasters, and self-levelling cementitious products now produced by a.b.e.® which reduce health risks and area contamination.

Applied over freshly-levelled and floated concrete, abe.® cron LA provides a low-cost solution for hardening new concrete floors, producing stronger floors with improved wear resistance and up to twice the serviceable life of a plain concrete floor. Among the product’s other advantages are:

  • Facilitates easier floating;
  • Reduced water demand with inherent lower delamination risks;
  • High density floors with easy to clean surfaces;
  • Increased resistance to liquid penetration;
  • Available in several attractive colours (light grey was selected for the Makro flooring); and
  • Superior finished surfaces provided by the levelling assistance technology.

After the completion of the five-month flooring project, the flooring’s demarcation lines were applied by Cross-Con CC, using a.b.e.® abe.® cote 400 Hi-Build 1mm ‘Brilliant Yellow”. abe.® cote 400 Hi-Build is a solvent-free epoxy flooring system comprising a clear resin and hardener, filler and pigment paste. The product resists chemicals, is seamless and hygienic, and can be applied on a variety of surfaces.

Makro is the first tenant in the 28-hectare Cornubia Ridge Logistics Park, adjacent to the Gateway precinct and accessible from all major highways including the M41 and N2. The logistics park is a joint venture between Fortress and M&F Giuricich Developments.