Couple these moisture sensitive adhesives with construction schedule pressures to install the flooring as quickly as possible, and there is often not enough time to wait for the slab to adequately dry.
There are a number of strategies that can reduce the likelihood of a moisture-related flooring failure. One such technique is moist-curing slabs in lieu of using liquid film-forming curing compounds. Curing compounds trap moisture in the concrete to enable the curing process, but until they are removed typically just prior to flooring installation , they prevent concrete from drying.
Limited use of retardants, slag, and fly-ash content can also help reduce drying times. Also, when the slab is exposed to rain and humidity, the slab cannot dry adequately. Enclosing the building and activating the HVAC system is when the real slab drying begins. Lowering the ambient relative humidity RH and increasing the ambient temperature generally decreases the drying time of the concrete slab. Self-desiccating normal-weight concrete mixes are beginning to appear on the U.
Fast-drying concrete mixes utilizing this concept of internal hydration have been used internationally for years, and even though they are gaining momentum in the U. Ready-mix suppliers are working on resolutions that could soon be available.
Waterproof flooring adhesives are becoming more prevalent. These adhesives offer limited surface preparation and resistance to moisture exposure and high pH levels. Priming is not typically required for waterproof adhesive application, but light surface grinding of the concrete slabs is necessary.
Although lightweight concrete has the potential to cause problems with adhered flooring systems, normal-weight concrete floors can also influence moisture-related problems. The team needs to make realistic estimates for concrete drying time and assess the selected flooring system MVER requirements. Enclosing the building early to limit environmental moisture sources and conditioning the interior space will help dry the slab.
Each of these strategies can add cost to the project. The costs of a well-conceived and properly implemented moisture control system can be offset by savings in structural steel, foundations, and fireproofing.
Careful planning by the entire project team — the owners, architects, contractors, and engineers — early in the design process can help reduce or eliminate the risks of moisture-related flooring failures on both lightweight and normal-weight concrete slabs. Chua, T. Kanare, H. Hopps, E. Suprenant, B. Craig, P. David P. Martin, P. My wife and I have been looking at different options for what to do for our garage. I like how in-depth this article went into explaining how concrete actually works.
Thanks for the article! I think having light weight concrete is a great thing. As long as it has the same structural integrity I think it is alright.
We would just have to be more careful protecting it against moisture. I was also thinking that it should be possible to make semi-lightweight concrete as well. Use some porous aggregate and some regular aggregate, and you have some of the benefits of both concrete types. It is interesting that light concrete costs more.
I would have thought that light concrete would dry faster. Thanks for sharing this information! Great in depth resourceful article. In my opinion, if the light weight concrete in properly designed, it has a number of efficiencies to offer over regular weight concrete. Really, This is a wonderful post. I enjoyed the information a lot. I will bookmark this page. Thanks for sharing this important information. You can preserve your design and the concrete with proper moisture testing before stains and sealers are applied.
Beauty and strength converge in decorative concrete. Like a good acid stain, they fuse together to create a durable, pleasing floor that literally becomes the foundation of its space and atmosphere. Appreciate finding such a detailed article on the topic of lightweight concrete.
Especially enjoyed where you break down the costs associated with lightweight concrete. Most people turn away when they hear that the cost is more but when you factor in the materials needed to support the added weight of regular concrete it may very well save you money. David, I would have thought that the longer it took to cure the concrete, the stronger, and better it would be.
But I suppose, time is always of the essence. My question would be with the type of floor covering. Did you evaluate the compatibility of a modified thin set applied directly over the concrete? The assumption appears to be that the surface of lightweight concrete floors can only be used as an underlayment and require a carpet covering?
There are loads of advantages of lightweight cement. I am certain your post going to help individuals to know how lightweight valuable in development. This article is a little misleading as it suggests that cellular concrete is limited to flooring. Building products can also be made from cellular lightweight concrete material. Cellular concrete has numerous applications in construction. I personally think that lightweight concrete is much better to use than other types of concrete.
Obviously each one has different applications, but in general, this is my preferred type. I must admit, I did learn some things from this article, and it was very technical from the stuff I usually read, but appreciated the technical aspect.
I liked that you said how it has advantages with interacting with flooring. My wife and I have been looking at different options for what to do for our garage this summer.
Jan, By David P. Zimmer, P. Bolduc, P. Hopps, P. In Articles , Building Blocks Comments The Advantages and Disadvantages of Lightweight Concrete in Building Construction Recently, lightweight concrete has been implicated as the primary culprit in moisture-related failures of adhered flooring systems. What is Lightweight Concrete?
Table 1: Slab thickness and fire rating. Table 2: Material quantities. Reply Braden. Reply James. Reply April. Reply Joseph. Pros and cons to everything! Reply betonaloka. Reply Corkco. Reply Jonh. Reply Pea Gravel Pepcon. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies.
It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. Passive Fire Protection. Why is concrete resistant to fire? Here are the main ones: Aggregate type The type of aggregate used in concrete can affect how effective it is preventing fire damage.
Moisture content The moisture content of concrete affects how it behaves in a fire. Density The greater the density of concrete, the higher its fire resistance. Thickness Generally speaking, thicker concrete performs better when exposed to fire. Applying a layer of lightweight mortar to exposed concrete surfaces.
Protecting concrete surfaces with board systems. Fire Safety Guides. Not finished browsing? Back to all posts. For any enquiries or questions, please call or contact our team via the form below. Full Name. Email Address. Phone Number. Your Message. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website.
If you continue to use this site we will assume that you agree to our Cookie Policy Reject. Close Privacy Overview This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website.
We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website.
0コメント