Welcome to the fourth issue of the CoGri Group corporate newsletter, CoGri News.

As a valued customer, our free newsletter offers you information-at-a-glance on CoGri news, new services and products.

We hope that you will find the contents both informative and useful.

Future copies of CoGri News will be published on a quarterly basis. The next issue will be available in September 2008.

Please feel free to forward CoGri News to your associates if you think they may benefit from the newsletter. If you no longer wish to receive further copies of CoGri News, you can un-register from our newsletter at any time by selecting the relevant options, located at the end of this newsletter.

Please do contact us should you have any queries or would like further information about our services and products.

Thank you for your continued interest and support. We hope to be working with you again soon.

Contact Us

Concrete Grinding Ltd has successfully upgraded the racking aisles in Sony DADC’s national distribution centre at Enfield, Greater London, to allow more efficient and safer use of VNA man-up trucks in the building.

Sony DADC uses a number of three-wheel wire-guided man-up trucks to pick orders for packaged media from the 12-metre-high racking. The flatness and general condition of the six 60-metre-long aisles required the speed at which the trucks could travel to be reduced in order to prevent them disengaging from the guidance wire and making contact with the racking. Previous attempts to improve floor flatness with localised hand-grinding had only improved the situation to a small extent, so Sony DADC appointed Concrete Grinding to carry out a full upgrade.

Following a Profileograph survey, the first task involved removing steel expansion joints that had failed and replacing them with high-strength epoxy mortar. The Laser Grinder® then ground the whole width of each aisle to DM2 specification, in some areas removing 15mm of material despite the presence of exceptionally hard flint aggregate in the concrete mix used for the floor.

Following the grinding operation, the joints in each aisle were saw-cut and a clear protective sealant applied. One aisle was completed at a time in order to minimise disruption, and the whole operation was carried out while the warehouse continued to operate and without the need for stock to be protected or moved.

Visit Concrete Grinding Website

CG Flooring Systems (CGFS) provided the perfect solution to a flooring problem for a multi-metal and steel stockholder, Aalco, at their Halesowen plant.

Aalco contacted CGFS with their flooring brief which required an initial survey. The recommendation by CGFS was for slab and joint repairs, to be followed by the installation of a 10mm fast track cementitious pump screed for the warehouse flooring area.

It was discovered during the initial slab repairs that the concrete slab was not thick enough or strong enough to meet the client’s future operating requirements. The typical thickness is 150mm, however, the floor was only 75 mm in the areas that required repair and this was not suitable for sustaining heavy MHE traffic, particularly over the floor joints.

CGFS submitted a proposal to affect a proper repair. Core samples were taken around the area to determine the slab depth at which 3 problematic areas were identified. CGFS’s new proposal was accepted by all and this allowed the work to be completed with minimum disruption to the client. The already fostered good relationship between CGFS, the client and the client’s representative, Stephen Buxton Associates, enabled a timely resolution to the problem.

Due to the time frame and client’s stipulation for the warehouse to remain operational, CGFS started working on the solution over two weekends.

The first weekend involved breaking out the floor area to 180mm deep. The areas were then saw cut for sharp arris edges, where dowel bars were inserted to the arris edges as a load transfer mechanism. Damp Proof Membrane (DPM) and reinforcement mesh were installed to each of the areas prior to pouring a rapid strength concrete floor. The process offered an additional intensity to the floor capacity.

The final weekend included surface preparation by shot blasting and diamond grinding to ready the floor for installation of the industrial flooring  system. A 10mm cementitious fast floor system was then installed to 1135 sq m in one day. The floor dried within 3 to 4 hours and the new floor was ready for operation on Monday morning.

CGFS’s standard procedures which included full diagnostics, cohesive communication practice ethos, and a keen eye for details meant that they were able to offer the best solution and service to their client needs first time.

Visit CG Flooring Systems Website

March and April saw Face Consultants in Spain, Dubai, Saudi Arabia and Portugal.

Face carried out supervision and survey work for a leading supermarket chain in Spain, and conducted a 35,000 sq m FM2 floor survey working with CoGri’s agent in Portugal.

International work continues to grow, with Face due to start work in Portugal, in Kuwait for Concrete Grinding and working with our representative in Germany.

Nearer to home, Face has been working on a major project for a pharmaceutical company, based in West Yorkshire, since the beginning of May. The project requires supervision and survey to FM2 Special and DM1 specifications. The project is ongoing and Face are due to start DM1 floor survey towards the end of June.

Visit Face Consultants Website

No rest for CG as grinding work increases.

In the Middle East, CG is due to complete a warehouse conversion project for a multi disciplined company in June. The transformation from a wide aisle double deep racking system to a VNA operation will have taken 4 months in total to complete. The project included floor joint repairs and 3 wheel track grinding along 30 aisles, at between 110-116 m long per aisle.

Between March and April, CG was working for a clothing company, based in Germany. The 3 wheel track grinding at 300mm thick was carried out on 9 aisles at 85 m long, to DIN 18185.

In the UK, CG has completed grinding jobs for an international supplier of infrastructure pipe solutions covering plumbing and heating systems. 4 aisles at 53 m long were ground whole aisle width to DM2 special. Phase two at Sony DADC, their national distribution centre at Enfield, was completed with one aisle extension to Phase one. The aisle, at 68m long, was ground whole aisle width to DM2 specification. The job included associated repairs.


Perhaps the most interesting project so far this year for CG was in Southern Germany.

CG was asked to grind a 44 m long aisle for a pharmaceutical company. However, the project required something that CG has never done before.

The only ground entrance into the narrow building was a service door, also used as a fire door. This meant that there was no ground entrance big enough for the Laser Grinder®. The only way to get the Laser Grinder® into the building was through the roof.

The Laser Grinder® was carefully lifted 20 m high by a 120 ton crane, via the roof, into the building.

The job took 30 minutes requiring four men, including two CG employees, to co-ordinate the process. The lifting  process also had to be precise since there were only 10mm of clearance on each side!

Moreover, as the service door was 1 m above the ground, CG had to use a pump to get the slurry into the skip  outside.

This shows that CG will do whatever it takes to accommodate their clients!

Visit Concrete Grinding Website

FACE Middle East Fzc (FACE ME) and Somero Enterprises Inc (Somero) sponsored the Supply Chain and Logistics Group (SCLG) Special Networking Event, held at the World Trade Centre, Dubai, in February.

During the networking meeting attendees heard presentations by two of the prime movers behind the Construct-A-Slab Alliance, Kevin Dare, Managing Director, of FACE ME and Andrew Keen VP-Sales, Somero.

Kevin spoke about the critical elements of floor design, measurement and joint detailing. The topics included internationally recognised flooring standards, US ASTM (F Number), German DIN standard and the UK Concrete Society TR34 standard. The TR34 Standard is arguably the best standard for specifiers and contractors to adopt, because it clearly demarks the two kinds of floor used in Industrial Slabs, Free Movement (FM) and Defined Movement (DM).

Andrew spoke about the benefits of mechanisation, which means that floors are constructed up to 4 times faster than conventional methods. This is great for the building operator, because the facility can be opened faster. Somero’s presentation exhibited various concrete floor construction methods using their placing equipment, the Laser Screed® for Flat slab, Grades (dual/compound), 3-D Profiler System, CopperHead and PowerRake machinery.

Both presentations addressed the issues on the best methods for the design and construction of concrete flooring, highlighting key benefits such as increased warehouse productivity (throughput), and reducing floor, and truck maintenance.

FACE ME and Somero have established separate offices in Dubai, to support the expansion of the Concrete Flooring industry in the Middle East, particularly in the Gulf Corporation Council (GCC) area.

FACE ME and Somero continue to champion best practice in the construction of concrete industrial floors, reinforcing performance specifications based on industry acknowledged standards, promoting the measurement, and adherence to specification.

Visit CoGri Group Website

LGA Logis (LGAK) has recently completed a contract for the construction of an 8,600 m² FM2 Topping Slab for Prologis Korea. 

LGAK was first involved in the project after Prologis requested a Condition Survey to a newly purchased warehouse in 2006. 

The second storey slab was of particular concern to Prologis and included an area of Ground Supported Slab and an adjacent area of Suspended Slab. 

The Condition Survey confirmed that although the slab had been constructed by one of the leading Flooring Contractors in Korea, the quality was way below the requirements of Prologis and would require substantial repair work. 

Defects included:
Poor Abrasion Resistance and Dusting to the Suspended Slab.
A worryingly thin slab with thickness varying between 130 and 195 mm.
Poor Floor Flatness and Levelness – Face Consultants Korea was engaged by Prologis to check the Suspended Slab area and it failed FM3 with a maximum Property 4 reading of 24 mm.
Mid Panel Cracking – due to the spacing of Induced Joints being 8 m and/ or the poor control of Sub-Base levels.
Dominant Induced Joints which opened up to 16 mm wide and combined with a low dosage of Steel Fibres gives a high risk of differential settlement occurring under heavy loading.

After considering a Pump Screed solution – proposed by LGAK with CG Flooring Systems and Laser Grinding for a potential client who was contemplating using VNA, Prologis decided that a Concrete Topping Slab would provide the best solution. 

LGAK constructed the Topping Slab using a combination of Laser Screed and Copperhead.

The development of this project demonstrates the range of high quality, value added services and solutions which the CoGri Group can offer its global clients.

In early 2008, LGAK will construct a 15,000 m² floor for the first Prologis new build warehouse in Korea. The floor will be constructed over two storeys using both the LGAK Laser Screed and Copperhead.

Visit LGA Logis Website

Face The CoGri Group welcomes three new recruits, Andrew Hall, Brian Dever and Sarah Haigh. Brian and Andrew joins as CGFS Flooring Technicians.

Brian’s previous experience include a variety of skills, including plasterer, taxi driver and making saws for Earnest and Bennett Stores for over ten years.

Andrew worked as builders’ labourer for four years with his Uncle’s business and was at Naylor Myers for a year.

Sarah joins CoGri’s Accounts Department as an Accountant. Sarah worked as a Catering Accountant, in the RAF, at Brize Norton in Oxford. In her 12 years service with the RAF, she was based at various locations including the Falklands, Ascension  Island, Cyprus and Oman. Sarah is qualified with an NVQ certificate by the Association of Accounting Technicians.  

Flooding, due to heavy rain, of the Staverton Park course could have spelt disaster for the ACIFC Golf Day, but with a switch of the venue, the event took place in a mix of temperatures and weather.

The Face Consultants team, represented by Yves and Marc Pestel-Debord, David Johnys and Alan Yuill, scored a magnificent 87 points to win the event bringing the trophy back to Huddersfield.

This was the first time CoGri had entered a Golf team in an event and to win was a great achievement.

All the team members played and scored well, and with super performances by Alan and Marc, the trophy was secured.

The organisation of the event was superb and credit must go to the event team. A tall order now to be retained next year!

CoGri Group branding continues from vehicles to building.

The reception area has been fitted out to welcome visitors.

We have added window etched graphics to exterior doors and the CoGri logo has been fitted beneath the Atrium’s window.

Plans are on the way to include furniture in the reception area.

Environmental Defence Systems Ltd (EDS), part of the CoGri Group of companies, has been swamped with demand for a new product to combat flooding.

FloodSax®, an effective alternative to the traditional sandbags, are being handed out in high-risk areas in the North-East.

The pilot scheme, run by the Northumberland Fire Service, the Environment Agency and Eaga, a residential energy specialist, involved 125 properties in Morpeth. 

Paul Bowens, from Eaga, said: “The trail of devastation left by last summer’s floods is still fresh in the mind and many households are still living in temporary accommodation. It is becoming increasingly urgent to help households protect themselves wherever possible.”

“FloodSax® can do just that. Stored at home they can be deployed at very short notice to block water ingress, and the unpleasantness of lavatories overflowing. If this trial is successful, it will extended to other vulnerable areas across the UK.”

Brian Hesler, Northumberland Chief Fire Officer, said: “One of our major problems during widespread flooding is access to large enough stocks of sandbags. This scheme, the first of its kind, represents real, local initiatives to protect those vulnerable.”          
           
FloodSax® have also been endorsed by the National Disabled Fire Association which promotes disability awareness in the workplace and in the fire service.

More about FloodSax®

CoGri Group exhibited at the Logistics Link Live Show in May.

Representatives of the CoGri Group consortium included Concrete Grinding Ltd, Face Consultants Ltd and CG Flooring Systems Ltd.

The two-day event was located at Solar Magna Park, Lutterworth,  (Europe's largest dedicated distribution park).

The event showcased live demonstrations in a real warehouse of products, systems and services for the supply chain sector.

The show proved to be a great success for CoGri, so much so that we will be exhibiting again next year.

Visit CoGri Group Website