There is a fast-growing demand for the repair and maintenance of concrete f loors in industrial freezers and cold rooms.According to Mike Stanley, head of concrete f loor repairs and maintenance at Concrete Laser Flooring (CLF), these f loors are often more prone to damage due to the impact of low temperatures.“Over the past four to five years we have actively pursued and researched the resilience and reliability of concrete f loors in industrial freezers and cold rooms,” said Stanley. “Our findings revealed that these f loors are prone to damage just like any other industrially trafficked f loor but that this damage is exacerbated by sub-zero temperatures.”He said maintaining sub-zero temperatures whilst repairing or upgrading f loors was a major challenge for f looring companies as in most cases operational activity continued at full capacity. “Keeping operational downtime to a minimum is one of the requirements for f loor companies. Our research has resulted in us identifying international products which are suitable to use in these conditions and which produce reliable results. We have procured these products and have been using them in local applications for some time.”He said more recently the company had completed the repair and upgrade of the concrete f loors at one of the biggest freezer facilities in South Africa.“One of our competitive advantages is that we are uniquely positioned to assist in all types of cold room and freezer repair requirements,” he said.Considering that concrete f loors are technically the working surface of any cold chain facility, operational downtime due to damaged f loors can have far-reaching effects.According to Stanley, using products that have been tried and tested is essential when servicing this industry. “Thanks to our product range and our highly trained workforce, we can do repairs properly and over an exceptionally short time, ensuring that operations continue smoothly with very little downtime.”His outlook for the cold chain logistics sector is positive. “It is one of the fastest growing segments within the supply chain industry and it promises to continue in this way for some time to come,” he said. “The volumes are increasing dramatically and the only way to meet this demand is to increase capacity which means growth in the number of facilities.”