For the sake of simplicity I'm going to bundle all wide range of floor types into this category. A floor topping is anything from a thin film (paint) to a thick agent (thicker than paint). Have you every walked into an industrial environment that must be kept sanitized and seen a dustless glossy floor? Its usually a resin (epoxy) or urethane (oil based agent), fastest growing third are polymers (advanced plastics). These floors have the density (resist microbes) and durability (wear) to make them a very practical choice.
Now on to the esthetics: The same characteristics that make it practical make it attractive, glossy, smooth, uniform, contiguous (seamless).
There's been a real push in the last ten years to deliver a "granite" or "terrazzo" type look to these floors. I've seen some real close seconds in an attempt to achieve terrazzo (very expensive). The photos have some examples.
The advantage is these installations can be relatively cheap compared to other decorative concretes like fauxing and staining. The challenge is conditioning existing substrate (raw or rough concrete) to deliver an ultimate smooth appearance. If the slap is already conditioned (meaning it was intended to be smooth and level by architect) its a sinch. If we need to work with something that's had tile on it, the floor will need to be rehabbed.
