Any concrete/cement pros out there?

Does it appear that there are fibers protruding from the concrete or is it literally just breaking down and really powdery? If it is just flat out breaking down and becoming powdery you need to etch the concrete with muriatic acid to stop the efflorescence. If you can stop the efflorescence your best bet would be to get a moisture cured urethane and coat the floor, but only if you can stop the efflorescence, otherwise the urethane will fail. Pictures would help.

I'll take a close look when I get home about the fibers, also try to get a pic. I have a stupid question: what is efflorescence?

Efflorescence, in chemistry, is the loss of water (or a solvent) of crystallization from a hydrated or solvated salt to the atmosphere on exposure to air. - quoting wikipedia

to me this sounds like spawling, which is what the structural guys always refer to when describing concrete that had not cured properly. the concrete is easily chipped away. the temperature was probably too cold and it was not kept at a proper curing temperature.

you can try using a sealant, which may slow down the breakdown. but the worst case scenario is that you may have to replace the concrete.

but yes... if you post some pics, someone who is a structural engineer could probably tell you exactly what's wrong.

my mother in laws slab was the same way. she contacted the contractor that poured it and they sealed it for free... i could gouge it with my finger nail.

The main reason why the slab is doing this is because it sounds like it has a broom finish, they didn't trowel it well, so the cream of the concrete never got as hard as it should have. The efflorescence is basically salt leaching out of the concrete. Don't you live in Florida Bert? Temp wouldn't have been a problem. You don't need a structural engineer to help you, he may be able to tell you what is wrong, but unless he has a vast knowledge of the products available to fix the situation he may only be able to do just that, tell you what is wrong. I have been working for a company for the past 10 years that does industrial/ retail flooring, as well as retail and industrial paint and just about anything else you can think of, I answer these questions from 8-5 Mon-Sat. If you want to check out our web site here it is. http://parkercoatings.com/index.html