Rouses Markets — Polished Floors, Faster Turnarounds

E5® eliminated wet curing and surface cures, giving finishers control, higher FF/FL, and earlier access across multiple Gulf Coast locations.

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Project Snapshot

Locations: Houma, LA • Lafayette, LA • Picayune, MS
Ready-Mix: La Blanc Brothers • Port Aggregates • Huey P Stockstill
Finishers: Ultimate Flooring Concepts; finishing contractor ADS LLC
Mix: Type IL cement design dosed with E5® Internal Cure; E5® Catalyst applied during finishing
Why E5®: Workable finish, reduced shrinkage, no traditional “curing” timeline; polished floors kept integral color; consistent FF/FL, higher DOI and DCOF for safety.

About Rouses Markets

Rouses Markets is a regional grocery retailer operating multiple stores across Louisiana and Mississippi. Their polished concrete floors must look premium under bright lighting, perform safely for heavy foot traffic and carts, and stand up to daily cleaning—without slowing store openings.

The Challenge

Deliver a polished, durable floor that hits FF/FL targets and resists staining and abrasion—while compressing schedules. Traditional wet curing and topical cures slow trades, add steps, and can introduce variability in finish quality, color, and DOI.

The E5® Solution

Batch-plant dosing of E5® Internal Cure retained mix water for hydration, stabilized workability, and reduced shrinkage—eliminating wet curing and topical curing compounds. During finishing, E5® Catalyst created a harder, denser wear surface with low permeability, helping the polished system hold integral color and DOI while enabling earlier, safer access for follow-on trades.

Products Used

Built-In Performance: The E5® System Behind the Results. This project’s outcomes weren’t accidental—they were engineered into the slab. By pairing the right admixtures and surface systems, we delivered internal curing, faster access, and a harder, more resilient finish that stands up to real-world demands.

E5® Internal Cure

Internal curing admixture that improves pump/place/finish, mitigates shrinkage, and removes wet-cure/curing-compound steps for faster schedules.

E5® Internal Cure

E5® Liquid Fly Ash

Silicate-free topical used with E5® Internal Cure to reduce drag, densify the surface, and boost abrasion resistance for polished/traffic areas.

E5® Catalyst

Schedule

Store openings were on aggressive timelines, so the team had to remove steps that slow access. Plant-dosed E5® Internal Cure eliminated wet curing and topical curing compounds, letting crews pump/place/finish efficiently and turn the slab over to trades sooner. During finishing, E5® Catalyst reduced drag and created a polish-ready surface, shortening the time to first cut and fixture install. The combined system simplified sequencing, minimized rework, and protected the critical path to opening.

Performance Needs

Rouses required a polished, retail-grade floor that would hold up under heavy cart and pallet-jack traffic while looking premium under bright lighting. The slab needed consistent FF/FL for long aisle runs, a dense surface that resists abrasion and dusting, and uniform color/DOI without efflorescence or blotchiness. Moisture and pH at the surface had to stay controlled to preserve finish quality and housekeeping, and shrinkage had to be limited to keep joints tight and reduce maintenance over the store’s lifecycle.

Project Overview

Concrete teams across Louisiana and Mississippi implemented E5® to achieve a workable finish and consistent FF/FL on polished floors. The E5® system increased surface durability, decreased permeability (less staining over time), and maintained the floor’s integral color—while eliminating conventional curing steps to keep openings on schedule.

How E5® Elevated Performance

Faster access: No wet cure or curing compounds meant trades were on the slab sooner.
Finish quality: Higher DOI, consistent color, and smooth refinement for the polishing contractor.
Durability & safety: Denser surface resists abrasion and moisture intrusion; maintained DCOF for slip resistance.