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School Goes Green with Polished Concrete

By Sherry Boyd, ConcreteNetwork.com Columnist

Project Detail:

- Selected as one of the AIA/COTE Top Ten Green Projects in 2006.

- Light colored floor surfaces with maximum reflectivity were used to increase the amount of natural daylight.

- Concrete was used to improve indoor air quality.

Benjamin Franklin Elementary School in Kirkland, Wash. has gone green with the addition of polished concrete. Here is a summary of the project:

Concrete was colored using a dry-shake color hardener which was incorporated into the surface shortly after the slab was poured.
After allowing the concrete to fully cure, a treatment was applied to the floor to improve density and reduce dusting.
The surface was then ground using the diamond grinding process.
Using the RetroPlate System, the floor was buffed and polished, creating a permanent shine and increasing concrete strength three to four times.
Finally a sealer was buffed into the suface.
Project cost was competitive with other flooring options.
Finished floor requires only hot mopping for cleaning.
Resists shoe scuff marks and stains.
Electric lighting needs were reduced due to the light color and reflective nature of the polished floors.
The final ground and polished concrete floor will outlast the floor coverings typically used in schools, such as carpet or vinyl.
Winner of the Design Concept Award (Pacific Northwest Region) from the Council of Educational Facilities Planners International.
Honored with the Educational Facility Design Awards, Award of Excellence from AIA Committee on Architecture for Education in 2007.