Data Center Flooring Built for Uptime.
Data center construction demands more from concrete floors. Ashford Formula and RetroPlate permanently dustproof and harden, meet ASTM F150 ESD standards, and bring 75 years of mission-critical experience to the spec.
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What Data Center Construction Demands From Their Concrete Floors
Data center flooring has unique requirements that standard coatings, sealers, and other densifiers can’t reliably meet. Here’s why our densifiers and the track record behind them set us apart from every alternative.
Dust Elimination
Bare concrete continuously dusts. Ashford Formula and RetroPlate penetrate and chemically harden the surface, stopping the problem at the source before it damages equipment or air quality.
ESD & Static Control
Both Ashford Formula and RetroPlate are independently tested to ASTM F150 and both pass. Charge dissipates safely through the treated slab, meeting ESD requirements critical for server hardware.
Increased Abrasion Resistance
Data center flooring must withstand years of continuous use. Ashford Formula and RetroPlate harden the concrete surface at the molecular level, dramatically increasing resistance to abrasion and wear.
No Delamination Risk
Epoxy coatings can fail under thermal cycling and long-term use. Ashford Formula and RetroPlate become part of the concrete itself. They cannot peel, crack, or delaminate. Ever.
Low Maintenance
Using a concrete densifier means no waxing, no recoating, and no stripping. Ashford Formula and RetroPlate create a hardened surface that cleans easily and holds up over the life of the facility.
Polished Concrete, Optional
For owners and investors, RetroPlate polished floors can be taken to a high-gloss mirror finish — all the same hardness, durability, and ESD protection with a showroom finish.
Two Products. Both Built to Perform.
Ashford Formula and RetroPlate are both proven concrete densifiers. Use one or the other based on your floor specification, or both if different areas of your facility have different needs.
Ashford Formula™
A penetrating concrete densifier that reacts within the slab to permanently eliminate dusting, increase hardness, and improve cleanability. Sustainable and EPD verified. Trusted by concrete contractors and facility owners for over 75 years.
- Develops a natural sheen over time without changing the look of the concrete
- Up to 32.5% increased abrasion resistance
- Sustainable — EPD Verified
RetroPlate®
A concrete densifier designed specifically for polished concrete. Diamond grinding opens the slab's pore structure more fully, demanding a more robust solution. RetroPlate delivers the same benefits of a densified floor with an elevated finish. Sustainable and EPD verified.
- Limitless design potential with variable sheen, color, and aggregate exposure.
- Up to 30% increased light reflectivity
- Sustainable — EPD Verified
Floor Specification Reference Table
Key performance parameters for data center floor treatment. Full spec sheets and MasterSpec language available on request.
| Parameter | Performance | Standard |
|---|---|---|
| Abrasion resistance increase | Up to 32.5% (Ashford Formula), 400% (RetroPlate) | Mohs comparison |
| Dust generation | Zero after treatment | ASHRAE 127-2012 |
| ESD / static dissipation | 10⁸ Ω avg — Static Dissipative (Ashford Formula & RetroPlate) | ASTM F150 |
| VOC content (Ashford) | < 25 g/L | SCAQMD Rule 1113 |
| Re-Application / Recoat | None — no coating applied | N/A |
| LEED v4 contribution | ✓ MR & EQ credits | LEED v4 |
| EPD verified | ✓ Third-party verified | ISO 14044 |
| MasterSpec section | ✓ Division 03 available | On request |
Real Projects. Real Results.
Allstate Data Center - Rochelle, Illinois
The Ashford Formula was applied to 23,000 square feet of exposed concrete flooring at Allstate Insurance’s Eco-Friendly Data Center in Rochelle, Illinois. The project called for a durable, low-maintenance floor that would help protect sensitive equipment by eliminating concrete dusting. As a water-based, VOC-free treatment, the Ashford Formula helped support the facility’s environmentally conscious design while permanently densifying, hardening, sealing, and dustproofing the concrete surface.
Data Center Floor Questions & Answers
Ashford Formula chemically reacts within concrete rather than creating a surface layer on top of it. This allows projects to achieve dust-proof performance, increased durability, and long-term surface protection without introducing coating layers that may require future replacement or maintenance. For owners prioritizing lifecycle performance and reduced operational disruption, this concrete densifier creates a fundamentally different long-term approach to concrete floor performance.
Data center floor must perform reliably while minimizing maintenance and operational disruptions. Ashford Formula helps create dust-proof, hardened concrete surfaces that support long-term durability while reducing ongoing maintenance requirements. Because Ashford Formula becomes part of the concrete itself, there is no coating layer to maintain or replace.
Yes.
Ashford Formula is compatible with raised floors while still providing the dust-proofing benefits desired beneath those systems.
This allows owners to reduce concrete dust generation beneath raised floors without sacrificing design flexibility or requiring additional floor layers.
Ashford Formula and RetroPlate concrete densifiers are frequently selected because they reduce long-term maintenance requirements.
Because these systems rely on concrete densification rather than surface coatings, owners can often avoid recurring re-coating cycles associated with many traditional floor systems.
Typical maintenance generally consists of routine cleaning practices rather than periodic replacement or restoration.
Environmental claims should be supported by measurable documentation rather than marketing language.
Ashford Formula and RetroPlate support specification with Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), VOC testing, and third-party documentation that allows architects, owners, and specifiers to evaluate environmental performance using measurable data.
Not at all. Ashford Formula concrete densificier has been specified in data center construction for decades, including hyperscale facilities for Microsoft and Allstate, among many others. By the time data centers construction became a priority for everyone, we had already accumulated over 20 million square feet of installations in them globally.
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- ✓Answer data center flooring questions
- ✓Provide submittal documentation and literature
- ✓Offer localized technical field support