NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

FACULTY OF ENGINEERING

Department of Civil and Water Engineering

Course Name: Construction Technology

Course Code: ECW2207

Assignment No: Group 6 Presentation

Lecturer Name: F . Mudhindi

GROUP MEMBERS

TINOTENDA MURAMBWI - N02220678D

WILLIAM ZHOU - N02221199Y
RYAN MUCHADONHA - N02221202T
ADORNIS A SITHOLE - N02220713L
SHAWN PHIRI - N02221192X
JOSEPH MUSIPA - N02218859P
TINASHE MAPINYI - N02019187W
TOPIC :CONTRUCTION MATERIALS

 Building materials are the different types of materials

that are used for construction purposes. Each building
material possesses different properties like weight,
strength, durability, and cost which makes it suitable for
certain types of applications. The selection of material
types is based on cost, sustainability effectiveness and
properties of the materials The following are the building
materials in civil engineering
Conventional building materials
 are those materials that have been traditionally used to make buildings,
monuments, structures, etc.
 They are defined by the term conventional because these materials are
what people tend to use the most, and it has been that way for many years.
 However, one of the biggest concerns these conventional building materials
has brought forth is that they are not environmentally a very viable option,
because the chemicals used in the process of creating these substances are
elements of waste and pollution.
 Also, the process of making these building substances leads to a lot of
chemical wastage, which again brings forth environmental issues, such as
melting of ice caps and global warming.
 The major components of conventional building materials are cement,
glass is also a conventional building material that has been used since the
early times. Some other conventional building materials are plaster and steel,
composites etc.
What are Alternative / sustainable Building
Materials?
 Alternative building materials are environmentally friendly building materials
that have risen to recent popularity due to the rising environmental
sustainability issues.
 Alternative building materials have been named so because they have
become an alternative solution to the conventional building materials that
have been used over centuries.
 Alternative materials consist of environmental alternatives to the usual
building stuff, like using wood as a flooring material instead of concrete or
using walls that are made of straw instead of using regular brick walls.
 Alternative building materials also serve as an answer to the rising demand
for materials for construction, they are cheap yet efficient option to the
usual conventional materials and are easier to maintain and thus save a lot
of money in the long run too, e.g. bendable concrete, mass timber,
bamboo etc.
 Conventional vs Alternative Building Materials
 The main difference between conventional and alternative building
materials is that conventional building materials use non-recycled products
that cause harm to the environment, while alternative building materials use
recycled products, hence they are environmentally preferable.
 The conventional building material for flooring is cement, while that for
alternative building materials is wood.
 Alternative building materials aim to reduce environmental pollution, while
conventional building materials have no such aim.
 Conventional building materials use steel reinforcements, while alternative
uses bamboo.
Man-Made Materials Naturally available materials
 Bricks and masonry blocks  Timber
 Concrete  Stone
 Cement  Sand
 Steel  water
 Bitumen
 Ceramic
 Paints and varnishes
 Glass
 Polymers
 lime
 BRICKS AND MASONRY BLOCKS
 A brick is a type of block used to build walls, pavements and other elements
in masonry
 Construction. Bricks can be joined using mortar, adhesives or by interlocking
them. The standard brick size is 190 mm x 90 mm x 90 mm as per the
recommendation of BIS. Block is a similar term referring to a rectangular
building unit composed of similar materials, but is usually larger than a
brick ,Concrete block is made from Portland Cement, aggregates and
water.
Classification of Bricks Based on Quality:
 First Class Brick: The size is standard. The color of these bricks is uniform yellow
or red.
 It is well burnt, regular texture, uniform shape.
 The absorption capacity is less than 10%,crushing
strength is, 280kg/cm2 (mean) where it is 245 kg/cm2
(minimum). It doesn’t have efflorescence.
First class bricks are generally used-
 in a building of long durability, say 100 years
 for building exposes to a corrosive environment;
 for making coarse aggregates of concrete.
Second Class Brick:
 The size is standard, colour is uniform yellow or red. It is well burnt,(mean)
where the minimum is 154 kg/cm2 slightly over burnt is acceptable. It has a
regular shape; efflorescence is not appreciable.
 The absorption capacity is more than 10% but less than 15%. Crushing
strength is 175kg/cm2
Third Class Brick:
 The shape and size are not regular. The color is soft and light red colored. It
is under burnt, slightly over burnt is acceptable
Classification of Bricks based on manufacturing methods
 Extruded bricks
 Molded bricks
 Dry Pressed Brick
Classification of bricks based on raw materials
 Burnt clay bricks
 Fly ash bricks
 Concrete bricks
 Calcium silicate bricks
Classification ofbricksbased on their using
 Common bricks
 Engineering bricks
USES OF BRICKS
 Bricks are used in wall masonry construction of building
 Used in brick lintel construction
 Bats of brick are used in concrete in foundation work
 Construction of arches, and underground structures
 paving
Advantages of bricks
 They are durable.
 They are low cost material.
 They possess good strength.
 They are easily available.
 Brick are light in compared to stones
 Easier to manufacture
 High compressive strength
 High quality brick does not need plastering therefpre can save on cost
 Fire proof
 Thermal insulator
 Weather and age proof
 Design flexibility
 Manufacture does not damage the environment
Disadvantages of Bricks

 Time consuming construction

 Can not be used used in high seismic zoes
 Causes eflouresence when exposed to air
 Very less tensile strength
 Hard to clean
Cement

 A cement is a binder, a substance used for construction that sets, hardens,

and adheres to Other materials to bind them together.
 Produces mortar for masonry, or with fine aggregate and coarse
aggregate, produces concrete.
TYPES OF CEMENT

 Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC)

 Portland Pozzolana Cement (PPC)
 Rapid Hardening Cement
 Quick setting cement
 Low Heat Cement
 Sulfates resisting cement
 Blast Furnace Slag Cement
 High Alumina Cement
 White Cement
 Colored cement
 Entraining Cement
COST ANALYSIS OF CEMENT
Uses of cement

 It is used in making joints for drains ,pipes.

 It is used to prepare RCC structures of building by using reinforcement with
cement concrete.
 it is used in construction of buildings, bridges, tanks, domes, flyovers,
dockyard etc.
 It is used to prepare cement mortar for building construction works like
masonry, plaster, painting, flooring etc.
 It is used to prepare cement concrete for various construction works
 Stabilisation of soil
ADVANTAGES OF CEMENT

 Ingredients of cement are effectively accessible in the majority of places

 Cement can be manufactured to the idle strength economically
 The strength of cement is exceptionally high
 It very well may be cast to any idle shape
 The casting of cement should be possible on the working site which makes
it economical
 The maintainance cost of cement is practically negligible
 Cement makes a building fireproof because of its non combustible nature
 Cement can endure high tempratures
 Cement is resistant to wind and water
DISADVANTAGES OF CEMENT

 Contrasted with other binding materials , the tensile strength of cement is

lower
 Cement is less ductile
 The weight of the contrasted is high compared to its strength
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF CEMENT
 Production /manufacture of cement produces green house gases that
affect the environment
 DUSTY environments which cause health complications
 Involves heavy mining hence noise pollution
 Extinction of non renewable resources such as limestone.
CONCRETE
 Concrete is a composite material composed of cement/lime aggregates
and water
 Production Process of Concrete
 .A good quality concrete is essentially a heterogeneous mixture of cement,
coarse and fine aggregates and water which consolidates into a hard
mass due to chemical action between the cement and water. Each of the
four constituents has a specific function. The coarser aggregate acts as a
filler. The fine aggregate fills up the voids between the paste and the
coarse aggregate.
 The cement in conjunction with water acts as a binder. The mobility of the
mixture is aided by the cement paste, fines and nowadays, increasingly by
the use of admixtures.
 Most of the properties of the hardened concrete depend on the care
exercised at every stage of
 the manufacture of concrete. A rational proportioning of the ingredients of
concrete is the essence of the mix design. However, it may not guarantee
of having achieved the objective of the quality concrete work. The aim of
quality control is to ensure the production of con crete of uniform strength
from batch to batch. This requires some rules to be followed in the various
stages of concrete production and are discussed as follows.
The stages of concrete production are

 Batching or measurement of materials

 Mixing
 Transporting
 Placing
 Compacting
 Curing
 Finishing
TYPES OF CONCRETE
 Plain cement concrete
 Reinforced cement concrete
 Precast concrete
 Prestressed concrete
 Lightweight concrete

The various Situations in which concrete is placed are discussed below.

 Foundations (Sub Structure)
 Concrete foundations for walls and columns are provided below the
ground surface.
 Beams, Columns, and Slabs (Super Structure)
 Coating material for water proofing
Advantages of Concrete
 Workability
 Strength
 Durability
 Dimensional stability
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF CONCRETE
 Production /manufacture of cement produces green house gases that
affect the environment
 DUSTY environments which cause heath complications
 Extinction of non renewable resources such as limestone.
The cost analysis for concrete
 Concrete is widely used because it is convenient and easy to use,
 Ready-mix concrete is manufactured and delivered at the site, ready for
use. Besides, the quality of ready-mix concrete is guaranteed because it is
manufactured at a central plant.
 Concrete is categorized into M-20, M-25, M-30, M-35 etc. so depending on
the requirements and use. Prices range from $104 to $144 per cubic yard,
depending on the grade of concrete.
 Factors affecting the cost of concrete include concrete type, delivery
distance, delivery date and pre-mixed bags
TIMBER

 Timber is the moisture less wood prepared for use in construction

 Wood is a HARD and fibrous substance which forms a major part of of the
trunk and branches of a tree
Uses of Timber

 Since timber is a shock absorber , it is used in the construction of buildings in

earth quake prone areas
 Used as framework in shattering when constructing structures like concrete
columns
 For roofing purposes.
 Used for making doors and window frames
 For making furniture and sport goods.
 Making railway sleepers.
 flooring
 Used for construction of temporary foot-bridges.
 Used for engraving works
 Timber defects
 Defects can occur in timber at various stages, principally during the growing period
and during the conversion and seasoning process. Defects affect the quality,
reduce the quantity of useful wood, reduce the strength, spoil the appearance and
favor its decay.

 1. Check is a longitudinal crack which is usually normal to the annual rings. These
adversely affect the durability of timber because they readily admit moisture and air.

 2. Shakes are longitudinal separations in the wood between the annual rings. These
adversely affect the durability of timber because they readily admit moisture and air.
These separations reduce the allowable shear strength and make the wood
undesirable when appearance is important. They reduce the timber’s resistance to
horizontal shear and tensile strength.
 Heart Shake occurs due to shrinkage of heart wood, when tree is over matured.
Cracks start from pith and run towards sap wood. These are wider at centre and
diminish outwards.
 Cup Shake appears as curved split which partly or wholly separates annual rings
from one another. It is caused due to excessive frost action on the sap present in the
tree, especially when the tree is young.
 Star Shake are radial splits or cracks wide at circumference and diminishing towards
the centre of the tree. This defect may arise from severe frost and fierce heat of sun.
Star shakes appear as the wood dries below the fibre saturation point. It is a serious
fault leading to separated log when sawn.
 3. Knots are bases of twigs or branches buried by cambial activity of the mother
branch. The knots interrupt the basic grain direction of the wood, resulting in a
reduction of its strength. In addition, these affect the appearance of the wood.
Knots reduce the strength of the timber and affect workability and cleavability as
fibers get curved.
 4. End Splits are caused by greater evaporation of sap at the end grains of log and
can be reduced by painting the exposed end grains with water proof paint or
capping the exposed end with hoop iron bandage.
 5. Twisted fibres are caused by wind constantly turning the trunk of young tree in one
direction.
 6. Splitting separation of fibres extending through a piece of timber from one face to
another.
 7. Warpage consists of cupping, twisting and bowing.
 Bowing is indicating by the curvature formed in the direction of length of timber.
 Cupping is indicating by the curvature formed in the transverse direction of timber.
 When a piece of timber has spirally distorted along its length, it is known as Twist.
ADVANTAGES OF TIMBER AS A CONSTRUCTION MATERIAL :

 Timber can be easily handled, painted and joined with simple tools
 It has a massive appearance for the heavy constructions.
 It is quite durable if properly protected against moisture rain, insects etc.
 Soundproof material
 Renewable resource
 Easily accessible and is sustainable
 Lightweight hence easier to transport whilst providing good structural
strength
However, as wood is a porous material, it is combustible, subject to splitting,
rotting, warping, decay, fire damage, and pest infestations.
 Advantages & disadvantages of timber
ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES

It is easily available. May shrink or swell as it has the ability to

absorb water.
Easy to transport and handle. Easily catches fire if by any chance it
breaks out.
Great thermal insulation, sound absorption Greater risk of rotting.
and electrical resistance.
Good absorber of shocks. It is susceptible to termite attack if not
maintained properly.
Since wood can be easily worked, repairs
and alterations to wood work can also be
done easily.
Cheap compared to other construction
materials.
COST ANALYSIS OF TIMBER COMPARED
TO OTHER BUILDING MATERIALS
 STEEL
 Steel is an alloy of iron and carbon containing less than 2% carbon and 1%
manganese and small amounts of silicon, phosphorus, sulphur and oxygen
 most construction projects, whether vertical or horizontal, have become
heavily reliant on steel as a primary construction material.
 Steel can be alloyed to form carbon steel, alloy steel, tool steel or stainless
steel, but the mainly used in the construction industry is mild steel.
Steel has a number of properties, including:
 hardness, toughness, tensile strength, yield strength, elongation, fatigue
strength, corrosion, plasticity, malleability and creep.
 Some of the benefits of using steel in construction projects include high
strength, durability, performance, flexibility,fire proof reduced weight and
increased safety, and is also sustainable and cost effective in the long run.
The usage of steel in construction includes:
 To build high rise buildings
 To build industrial sheds
 To build residential buildings
 To build bridges
 To build parking garages
Advantages of Steel:
 Steel possesses high tensile strength thus making it suitable for almost every
Structure.
 Steel is ductile, thus it gives a sufficient amount of warning before a
Structure failure.
 Steel can be cut, bent, join, and lifted very easily with locally available tools
and machines, thus economical.
Disadvantages of using steel as a construction material
 Steel is susceptible to rust and corrosion, unlike wood or glass
 Good conductor of heat, hence requires heavy fireproofing
 It is also susceptible to fatigue, fracture and buckling, this is so due to the
presence of impurities
 Costly, the manufacture of high quality steel and also the maintenance
cost
Corrosion prevention
 Galvanizing
 Surface coatings (oiling, painting, etc)
 Anodizing
 Biofilm coatings
 Sacrificial protection
 Surface cleaning
 Environmental measures
BITUMEN:
 Bitumen, also known as asphalt, is a substance produced through the
distillation of crude oil that is known for its waterproofing and adhesive
properties.
 Bitumen production through distillation removes lighter crude oil
components, such as gasoline and diesel, leaving the “heavier” bitumen
behind. Bitumen is a petroleum based material, used for binding stones and
sands and producing asphalt for road construction
Following are the properties of Bitumen
 Adhesion ,Resistance to Water ,Hardness ,Viscosity and Flow ,Softening
Point ,Ductility , Specific Gravity ,Durability ,Versatility ,Economical , Strength

It is mainly used for

 Waterproofing to prevent water seepage
 Damp-proof courses for masonry
 Tank foundations
 Joint filling material
 Construction of roads, runways and platforms
 Preservation of timber and stones
SAND
 Sand is useful in various construction activities like masonry work, plaster
work, flooring and concrete work.
 Sand is used in cement mortar, as a fine aggregate for concrete
manufacturing , reinforced cement concrete and prestressed concrete
and as key ingredient in building construction
Advantages of Sand
 It is naturally available material
 It is durable
 It mix with binding material easily
 They have resistance to scratches.
 They have resistance to corrosion and decay.
STONES

 A building stone is a piece of rock quarried and worked into a required size
and shape for a particular purpose. A building stone may be defined as a
sound rock that can be safely used in
 Some situation in the construction as a massive dressed or undressed unit.
Granites and marbles
 used in the form of finely dressed blocks or slabs or columns in monumental
and costly buildings, are good building stones.
 Stones are very popular building materials, as they got adequate drainage
capacity. So in the place of high rainfall region, the stones can be
conveniently used as a construction material
USES OF STONES

 They are used in retaining wall masonry to retain soil.

 They are used as road metal in road construction.
 They are used as ballast for permanent way in railways.
 They are used to make concrete in the form of coarse aggregate.
 Course aggregates are used to prepare cement concrete bituminous
pavement, rigid pavement etc.
 They are used in construction of beams, columns, slab, lintel etc.
ADVANTAGES OF STONE MASONRY DISADVANTAGES OF STONE
 High compressive strength  Heavy making handling difficult
 Weather resistant  Construction cost is a bit high
 Durable – can withstand  Transportation and extraction
cost
 Requires very little maintenance
 Time consuming
 possess adequate drainage
property
 can give attractive finishes as well ENVIROMENTAL EFFECT
as smoothness on surface
 Land degradation due to
extraction
 Blasting causes noise pollution
Mortar
 Mortar is an intimate mixture of inert cementing material, fine aggregate
and water uniformly mixed together in a certain proportion. They are widely
used in Masonry Construction and plastering surfaces. Cementing material
used are mud, lime, cement or a combination of those
Types of Mortar:
 Cement Mortar
 Lime Mortar
 Surki Mortar
 Gauged Mortar
 Mud Mortar
Uses of mortar
 To bind the bricks or stones firmly in wall construction work.
 They are used in plaster work as finishing material to provide weather
resistance joints of masonry work are covered by plaster work. White wash
and colour are applied on plastered surface easily.
Advantages of mortar
 Easy placeability and high workability
 They give attractive finishes to the exposed surface.
 Mortars are excellent Binder, and they possess good bonding strength
 Cement mortars possess Excellent compressive strength.
Disadvantages of mortar
 High chances of shrinking
 possess low chemical resistance
 Cant be utilised in paramount temprestures
GLASS

 Glass is an inorganic solid material that is usually transparent or translucent

as well as hard, brittle, and impervious to the natural elements.
 Nowadays, glass is being used as effective building materials for modern
Construction, for various purposes as it offers a wide range of Advantages,
that other building materials don’t.
Types of glass
 Soda Lime glass (float glass)
 Potash Lime glass
 Chromatic glass
 Common Glass
 Coloured glass (laminated)
 Wired glass, Safety glass, Bulletproof glass, Shielding glass

Advantages of Glass:
 Glass can withstand high temperature, making it suitable for every construction,
making it a very useful material in a fire.
 It gives glossy and attractive appearances to the building, making it a very useful
material for aesthetic purposes.
 It is dustproof and waterproof and can be recycled.
 UV stable
 Abrasion Resistance
 Sustainable Material
 Glass proves to be an excellent material for thermal insulation

Disadvantages of Glass:
 it is costly as it consumes much effort and very high temperature to
Manufacture, Thus it is not Generally a considerable material in the
construction, where financial aspects hold great importance.
 Glass as a material is very much heavy. Thus it increases the self-weight of
any member and not a suitable choice from the Structural point of view.
 Glass is Brittle which makes it unsuitable for the Structures in earthquake-
prone regions.
The cost analysis of glass
 From the diagram above, the amount of glass needed for the construction
work to be done and the total price, shows the high cost of using glass in
the construction industry as compared to other materials shown.
 The use of glass in a building enhances the cost of security because of the
transparency it offers.
 Glass, being an expensive material as compared to the other building
materials used in the construction industry, eventually augments the total
cost of the building.
Plastic

 Plastic is an organic material, which is prepared from resin. It can be

defined as a natural or synthetic organic material, which has the property
of being plastic at some stage of its manufacture when it can be moulded
into required size and shape.
Uses of Plastic
 Flooring
 Electrical Conduits and insulator
 Damp proofs in foundations
 Piping
 Doors and windows
Advantages of Plastics:
 Plastic has low self-weight, which gives it a higher preference where loads are of
prime importance. It is also waterproof, so they can be used for various
purposes in the building. Plastics are reasonably strong. Their tensile strength
may be increased by reinforcing with them with various fibrous materials
Disadvantages of Plastics:
 Plastic is not fireproof and burning plastic may pose a serious threat of
environmental hazards. Recycling plastic takes a lot amount of effort, which
may not be always applied.
Poly-Vinyl Chloride(PVC):
 PVC pipes are very popular in building construction. However, they cannot
be used in places where temperatures are very high(50°C and Above).
They can not resist high pressures.
Advantages of PVC:
 They are rustproof and waterproof.
 PVC is termite-proof
 They provide excellent thermal insulation.
 They provide an alternative to the wood, thus economical.
Disadvantages of PVC:
 They have poor heat stability
 PVC has lower chemical resistance
 Their properties can change with time
Ceramics

Advantages
 It has excellent dielectric properties.
 It has good resistance to corrosion.
 It has good chemical resistance.
Fly ash

 Fly ash can be produced by caol fired power plants provided an excellent
prime material used in blended cement mosilie tiles and holllw bricks among
others.
 Fly ash is used to improve the strength, segregationand ease of pumping
concrete.
 It is used in concreteto improve the workabilityof plasti concrete, workability tha
durabilityand the hardness.
 When you used fly ash in concretemakimg the amountof portaland
cementmust be ruduced.
 Tha advantag of fly ash is tha it produces concreteor bricka that are less
abosorbant to water.
 Flyash is 18% more cheap thn slug nd Portlandcement.If you you incude fly ash
in your mix in the productionof cementit reduces costs by 3.5%.
 SCREED
 Screed is commonly used in construction as a building material, particularly in flooring
applications. It is a thin layer of cementitious material that is applied over a base floor to
create a smooth, level surface. Screed can be made from various materials such as cement,
sand, and water, and it provides a solid and stable base for the installation of floor finishes like
tiles, wood, or carpet.
 There are different types of screeds used in construction, including traditional sand and
cement screed, self-leveling screed, and polymer-modified screed. Traditional sand and
cement screed is a mixture of sand, cement, and water, which is manually applied and
leveled. Self-leveling screed, on the other hand, is a fluid mixture that spreads and levels itself
under gravity, resulting in a smooth, flat surface. Polymer-modified screed incorporates
polymers into the mixture to improve its strength, flexibility, and adhesion properties.
 Screed is typically applied in a semi-liquid form and then leveled using various tools, such as a
straightedge or a screed board, to achieve a consistent thickness and surface flatness. It is
important to properly prepare the base before applying the screed to ensure good adhesion
and minimize the risk of cracking or other structural issues.
 In addition to providing a level surface, screed can also help to improve the thermal and
acoustic properties of a floor. It can be used to incorporate underfloor heating systems, as
well as to enhance sound insulation between floors.
 Overall, screed is a versatile building material that plays a crucial role in creating smooth,
level, and durable floors in various construction projects.
 Advantages of screed
1. Leveling and Smoothing: One of the primary advantages of screed is its ability to create a smooth,
level surface. It helps to correct any irregularities or unevenness in the base floor, providing a solid and
stable foundation for the installation of floor finishes. This ensures that the final flooring surface is flat
and even, enhancing the overall aesthetic appeal of the space.
2. Improved Floor Strength: Screed can significantly enhance the structural strength of the floor. It forms
a strong and durable layer that helps to distribute the load evenly across the floor, reducing the risk of
cracks, deformation, or other damage. This is particularly important in high-traffic areas or
commercial environments where the floor is subjected to heavy loads and foot traffic.
3. Compatibility with Underfloor Heating: Screed is often used in conjunction with underfloor heating
systems. The screed layer helps to distribute the heat evenly across the floor surface, maximizing the
efficiency of the heating system. It also acts as a thermal mass, retaining and releasing heat slowly,
which improves the overall energy efficiency and comfort of the space.
4. Sound Insulation: Screed can contribute to improved sound insulation between floors. It helps to
reduce airborne and impact noise transmission, creating a quieter environment within buildings. This is
particularly beneficial in residential or multi-story buildings where noise reduction is desired.
5. Quick Installation: Depending on the type of screed used, it can offer fast installation times. Self-
leveling screeds, for example, can be poured and spread quickly, reducing labor time and allowing
for faster project completion. This can be advantageous in construction projects with tight schedules
or when minimizing disruption is crucial.
6. Versatility: Screed is a versatile material that can be used in various applications. It is suitable for
different types of floor finishes, such as tiles, wood, carpet, or vinyl, making it compatible with a wide
range of design choices. Additionally, screed can be used in both residential and commercial
settings, providing a flexible solution for different project requirements.
 Disadvantages of screed
1. Drying Time: Traditional sand and cement screeds require a significant amount of time to dry and cure
properly. The drying time can vary depending on factors such as the thickness of the screed, environmental
conditions, and the type of screed used. This extended drying period can delay the overall project timeline
and may require additional precautions to protect the surface during the drying process.
2. Prone to Cracking: If not properly installed or cured, screed can be susceptible to cracking. Factors such as
inadequate preparation of the base, excessive drying shrinkage, or improper mix proportions can contribute
to the development of cracks in the screed layer. These cracks can compromise the integrity of the floor
and may require repair or remediation.
3. Limited Flexibility: Traditional sand and cement screeds have limited flexibility and can be prone to cracking
in situations where there is movement or vibration in the substrate. This can be a concern in areas where
structural movement is expected, such as in buildings with expansive soil conditions or those subjected to
heavy loads.
4. Surface Preparation: Proper surface preparation is crucial for the successful installation of screed. The base
floor needs to be clean, level, and free of any contaminants that could affect the adhesion of the screed
layer. In some cases, additional surface treatments or primers may be required, adding to the overall project
cost and time
5. Material Compatibility: When using screed in conjunction with certain floor finishes, compatibility issues may
arise. For instance, certain types of screed may not be suitable for use with moisture-sensitive floor coverings
like wood or laminate, as moisture from the screed can cause damage. It is important to consider the
specific requirements of the chosen floor finish and ensure compatibility with the screed system used.
6. Cost: Depending on the type of screed and the specific project requirements, screed installation can be
relatively costly compared to other flooring options. The cost includes materials, labor, and potential
additional treatments or additives required for specific performance characteristics. It's important to factor in
the cost of screed when budgeting for a construction or flooring project.
screed
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