CEMENT CONCRETE

FLOORING
The earth filling is consolidated thoroughly so as to ensure
that no loose packets are left in the whole layer and it is
leveled
Above the ramped earth a layer of cement concrete or lime
concrete is laid with a varying thickness of 750 to 100 mm.
In case of cement the mixture used is in ratio of 1 cement: 5
sand: 10 stone or over burnt brick aggregate 40 mm nominal
size. Lime concrete used is in the ratio of 1 lime: 2 sand or 1
lime: 1 surkhi/ash: 1 sand
When the base concrete layer has fully set and hardened
Top surface is cleaned
The entire surface is divided into rectangular or square
panels by use of glass strips 4 5 mm thick
The surface of the base should be made damp and
applied with a coat of cement slurry prior to laying the
top
The cement concrete topping, normally consisting of
1:2:4 (1 cement: 2 sand: 4 stone aggregate) is then laid
in required thickness in one operation in the panels.
The concrete is spread evenly by using a straight edge
and surface is thoroughly tamped and floated with

wooden floates till the cream of the mortar comes at

top.
The surface is then smoothened and finished by means
of wooden trowels. (But excessive toweling should be
avoided)
The surface is left for sometime, till the moisture
disappears.
Use of dry cement or cement and sand mixture
sprinkled on the surface to stiffen the concrete or
absorb excessive moisture should not be done
The junction of floor with wall plaster, dado, or skirting
should be rounded off where so required up to 25mm
radius.
The floor should be cured for 10 days before use

Where appearance and decorative effect are important,

concrete floor paints or inorganic chemical stains may
be applied. Colour may also be achieved by mixing pure
chemical pigments with the concrete topping at the
time of placing. Occasionally, a dusted-on colour
mixture can been used. Its application involves a
difficult operation and it is not easy to obtain
satisfactory results. All of these surface treatments may
be further protected with an ordinary paste wax.

SIZE OF PANELS DEPENDS

Size of the panels of concrete slabs depends on : Location of the floor
Temperature and other climatic conditions
Thickness of toppings
Proportions of ingredients in concrete mixture
(Generally the area of panels should be less than 2 sq mt)

MERITS
It is non-absorbent and thus it is very useful for water
stores.
It provides hard, durable surface and capable of
meeting all floor requirements at a relatively low cost
rate.
It can be easily cleaned.

DEMERITS
Defects in carelessly laid floor cannot be rectified and
requires proper attention while laying
It cannot be satisfactorily repaired by patch work

PRECAUTIONS

 The concrete should be made with hard well-graded

aggregates
For each sack of concrete not more then 17 liters of
water should be used.
The concrete should be thoroughly compacted by
vibrating or by tamping and spading.
Since aggregates represent nearly 75 per cent of the
mass of the concrete and provide the main wear
resistance of the floor finish, they must be of proper
quality. They should be clean and free from dust, clay,
silt or frozen material, have sufficient hardness and
satisfy the standard tests for durability
The thickness of flooring should be measured correct to
1mm
Too much fine material will require a large amount of
mixing water and a high water cement ratio that in turn
means a low-strength non-durable concrete subject to
excessive shrinkage.
Proportioning a floor topping there are two main
requirements to be kept in mind. The mix should be as
lean as possible, containing a minimum of cement and
water to give low shrinkage and lessen the risk of
cracking, curling and dusting. The mix must be
sufficiently workable for it to be placed without the
prolonged tamping or vibration that cause segregation
of the aggregate and bring fine material to the top,
creating a weak surface layer.
Relatively lean dry mix that is difficult to work with
hand tools can be readily compacted and smoothed
with power driven equipment. Such a mix is obtained
by using one part of cement, one part of fine aggregate,
2 parts of coarse aggregate by volume, and a water
cement ratio of only 3 gallons per sack of cement.