EPA Infrastructure

Tremix (Vacuum Dewatered) Flooring Overview

A high quality concrete floor or pavement requires not only to be level but it should also have high wear resistance, high compressive strength, reduced shrinkage, minimum water permeability and should be free of pores. The following paragraphs explain the method and benefits of this process. Why use Vacuum Dewatered flooring? The Vacuum Dewatered (VD) Flooring method, is a system for laying high quality concrete floors with superior costeffectiveness. The key to the use of this method is the dewatering of concrete by vacuum process surplus water from the concrete is removed immediately after placing and vibration, reducing the water: cement ratio to an optimum level. Therefore, adopting the VD Flooring method facilitates use of concrete with better workability than what is normally possible. A lowered water to cement ratio due to vacuum dewatering leads to improvement in each of the concrete properties listed above. The Procedure The method involves laying the floor in the following sequence: - Concreting in the conventional way but with a higher slump so that workability is good and concrete pouring and spreading is done fast. - Poker Vibration (specially on both sides of the panel) is always essential for floor thickness of 100 mm and above. - Surface Vibration using Double Beam Surface Vibrator. - Levelling the vibrated surface with a straight Edge. - Vacuum Dewatering using Vacuum Pump and Suction Mat Top Cover & Filter Pads. - Floating and Trowelling of the concrete pavements using Skimfloaters. The Benefits Through the vaccum treatment, it is possible to reduce the water content in the concrete by 15 – 25% which greatly increases the compressive strength. Thus, by lowering the water/ cement ratio, the tendency of shrinkage and subsequent cracking is greatly reduced. Lowest water/ cement ratio being at the top part of a vacuum dewatered slab, gives it the maximum compressive strength. Since the water/ cement ratio is lowered through vacuum dewatering, concrete of higher initial slump can be used while pouring. This greatly simplifies the job of mixing and pouring concrete. The operational convenience this technology offers, can be very simply put as pouring concrete having higher water/ cement ratio giving excellent workability and removing the excess water immediately after surface vibration, resulting in a zero slump concrete. The vacuum treated concrete floor/ pavement, exhibits inherent advantages viz: - Monolithic, Shrinkage free pavements. - Single panel without joints up to 100 sq. meters. (depending on design specifications) - Very high splitting strength. - Very high quality pavements in terms of strengths i.e. compressive, abrasion, flexural etc. - Saving in cement since the compressive strength of the pavement is increased giving flexibility to adopt either leaner mix or design a slab of lesser thickness giving the required strength. - Controlled and uniform surface finish. - Very high output exceeding 100 200 sq. meters. in a day (depending upon the configuration of Vacuum Dewatering System and other site conditions like concrete mixing and pouring speed). History of This Procedure The Vacuum Dewatered Concrete Flooring technology has been employed in many projects in the country during last 14 years and more than 10 million sq. meters. of work has been carried out. The VD System is increasingly being accepted as a relevant and totally adaptable technology in the Indian environment. It is now being specified by many leading Architects and Consulting Engineers for their projects.

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Generated: 15 November, 2011, 10:40