Surface Accuracy Surface accuracy is defined as the relative difference in elevation over prescribed distances. In simpler terms, it is a measure of the flatness of a surface. Owing to the nature of flooring materials and the construction processes involved, it is practically impossible to construct floor surfaces that are completely flat (true to datum) –...
With screed failure becoming a widespread issue in the UK, contractors and builders are more cautious than ever when it comes to choosing their screed. Is ready-mixed screed – the screed batched and mixed in the factory and delivered to site – the safer option, or is it safer to rely on the expertise...
History and Development of Portland Cement Portland cement, arguably one of mankind's most important manufactured materials, was invented and patented by Joseph Aspdin from Leeds in 1824. Aspdin produced cement by heating powdered limestone mixed with clay in a furnace, and grinding the resulting clinker to a powder. He called the product "Portland Cement" because...
Concrete and screed and are essentially formed of the same basic ingredients - cement, aggregates and water. But what makes them different is- the size of aggregates, the cement grade, mix consistency, and of course their intended application or use. Composition and Mix Proportion Concrete in its simplest form is a rock like mass formed by...
Before we get into the advantages and disadvantages of manufactured sand, what exactly is manufactured sand? Manufactured sand is sand produced by crushing rocks, quarry stones or larger aggregates pieces into sand-sized particles. Natural sand, on the other hand is the naturally formed sand extracted from river beds. The Manufacturing Process Rocks or quarry stones are...
Aggregates are inert, granular materials which form a major component of screed and concrete mixes. With urban expansion and environmental constraints putting a strain on the naturally occurring aggregate sources such as sand, gravel and crushed rock, the construction industry is now widely exploring other sustainable and economically viable resources, to meet their ever-growing...
Every detail right from the type of cement and grade of aggregate to the method of storage of materials, play a major role in determining the quality of a screed. Here are a few tips on getting the details right for cement-sand levelling screeds. Read more:
We are very pleased to announce that we can now offer an impartial and independent screed testing service backed up by the real Screed Scientist at CSC Screeding. Screed quality does not have to be left to chance. Applying a final floor finish to a screed that is only partially dry is really asking for...
Our collaboration with Tomorrows Flooring to raise awareness in the floor screeding industry continues with the next instalment of the Screed Scientist content appearing in the September 2013 edition. See page 22 of this link: http://content.yudu.com/A2dukg/TFSept13/resources/index.htm?referrerUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tomorrowsflooring.com%2F The article covers: Right from verifying the suitability of the screed specification before commencing screeding to the post-installation measures of...
Following on from Checklist for onsite supervision for screeding Tips 1 – 3 we present tips 4 -6. 4. Screed Mix Check that the raw materials and the mixing of screed are correct. The ideal mix proportion for normal cement/sand screeds is - 1:3 to 1:5 – that is 1 part Portland Cement ( which complies...
