Position Statements from the Concrete Polishing Council of ASCC

Since the 1990s, the concrete polishing industry in the United States has experienced rapid growth. While the aesthetics and performance of polished concrete floors are currently appreciated in nearly every building type—including industrial, commercial, residential, retail, education, and healthcare facilities—the initial rapid expansion of the industry created challenges that threatened continued progress. Although some skilled craftsmen could produce polished concrete that met marketplace demands, most did not understand the complex nature of the concrete matrix, the polishing processes themselves, or how these factors related to each other. This created confusion among the design community and consumers, as the majority of contractors could not meet expectations that were based on the assurances of a product representative or photos in a marketing brochure. This confusion damaged the polished concrete brand, and so it became clear that the concrete polishing industry was headed toward selfdestruction. A collaborative effort to stabilize the industry resulted in the Concrete Polishing Association of America (CPAA), created by a small group of contractors in 2010. CPAA represented the suppliers and contractors in the concrete polishing industry. It established guidelines for the entire industry, and it offered education, certification, and publications. A little over a year ago, the CPAA contracted with the American Society of Concrete Contractors (ASCC) to assume management of the organization. Rather than maintaining CPAA as a separate organization, however, ASCC brought the polishing trade group inside its organization as a specialty council. ASCC specialty councils have elected boards and function at a somewhat higher level than committees within the larger society. The Concrete Polishing Council (CPC) is now one of four ASCC specialty councils. “Combining with ASCC, we now have an unrivaled depth of technical and real-world knowledge about how to deliver the best possible end product,” said Chad Gill, CPC Council Director. “Our members are exposed to an array of new benefits and resources from one of the most sharing and driven communities with whom I have interacted. Our customers will see the benefits of a synergistic relationship between the canvas and the deliverable. We are very excited about this leap forward for our association and our future growth in this dynamic industry.” Placing CPC within ASCC’s umbrella has brought together the polishing contractors and the slab contractors, who must understand each other and work together to provide the owner a successful finished product. Significant progress has already been made. On September 15, 2017, for example, representatives of these two groups met to begin work on a specification for slabs that are intended to be polished. The CPC has also spent the last year developing educational products, refining its certification process, and publishing documents to help define the industry and the polishing contractor’s place in it. The three Position Statements that follow comprise some of this work. The documents will be posted on the ASCC website (www.ascconline.org) for access by owners, specifiers, and contractors.