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Granolithic screed, also known as granolithic pavingEmmitt and Gorse, p. 566. and granolithic concrete,Harris, p. 470. is a type of construction material composed of
Granolithic screed, also known as granolithic pavingEmmitt and Gorse, p. 566. and granolithic concrete,Harris, p. 470. is a type of construction material composed of cement
A cement is a binder, a chemical substance used for construction that sets, hardens, and adheres to other materials to bind them together. Cement is seldom used on its own, but rather to bind sand and gravel ( aggregate) together. Cement mix ...
and fine aggregate such as granite
Granite () is a coarse-grained (phaneritic) intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly cools and solidifies undergro ...
or other hard-wearing rock.Ingham, p. 132. It is generally used as flooring, or as paving (such as for sidewalks). It has a similar appearance to concrete
Concrete is a composite material composed of fine and coarse aggregate bonded together with a fluid cement (cement paste) that hardens (cures) over time. Concrete is the second-most-used substance in the world after water, and is the most wi ...
, and is used to provide a durable surface where texture and appearance are usually not important (such as outdoor pathways or factory floors). It is commonly laid as a screed
Screed has three meanings in building construction:
# A flat board (screed board, floating screed) or a purpose-made aluminium tool used to smooth and to "true" materials like concrete, stucco and plaster after they have been placed on a surface ...
. Screeds are a type of flooring laid on top of the structural element (like reinforced concrete
Reinforced concrete (RC), also called reinforced cement concrete (RCC) and ferroconcrete, is a composite material in which concrete's relatively low tensile strength and ductility are compensated for by the inclusion of reinforcement having hig ...
) to provide a level surface on which the "wearing flooring" (the flooring which people see and walk on) is laid.Ingham, p. 130. A screed can also be laid bare, as it provides a long-lasting surface.
The aggregate mixed with the cement can be of various size, shape, and material, depending on the texture of the surface needed and how long-lasting it must be.Ransom, p. 74. The aggregate is usually sifted so that the particles are roughly the same size, which helps reduce air pockets in the material (which can weaken it). Generally, the mix of aggregate to cement is 2.5 to 1 by volume.
Granolithic screed or paving can be problematic. Because it is made with a high cement content and requires a great deal of water to mix, it may crack while drying. It can also come loose from the material below (especially if the lower material is not properly prepared). Pouring the material in layers is generally avoided.Snow, p. 4—6. Cracking and curling can be reduced by dividing the area to be covered into smaller sections and then pouring the material. Debonding of the granolithic material can also be significantly avoided by using bonding agents like epoxy
Epoxy is the family of basic components or cured end products of epoxy resins. Epoxy resins, also known as polyepoxides, are a class of reactive prepolymers and polymers which contain epoxide groups. The epoxide functional group is also coll ...
resins or polymer latex.
A high degree of skill in pouring and finishing the material is needed to prevent problems. Sealers and hardeners can be added to the granolithic material to improve its resistance to wear.
See also
*roughcast
Roughcast or pebbledash is a coarse plaster surface used on outside walls that consists of lime and sometimes cement mixed with sand, small gravel and often pebbles or shells. The materials are mixed into a slurry and are then thrown at the wor ...
(pebbledash): visually somewhat similar, but used mostly on outer walls
Footnotes
{{reflistBibliography
*Emmitt, Stephen and Gorse, Christopher A. ''Barry's Introduction to Construction of Buildings.'' Chichester, U.K.: Wiley-Blackwell, 2010. *Harris, Cyril M. ''Dictionary of Architecture and Construction.'' New York: McGraw-Hill, 2005. *Ingham, Jeremy P. ''Geomaterials Under the Microscope: A Colour Guide.'' London: Manson, 2011. *Ransom, W.H. ''Building Failures: Diagnosis and Avoidance.'' Florence, Ky.:Taylor & Francis, 1987. *Snow, Dennis. ''Plant Engineer's Reference Book.'' 2d ed. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann, 2002. *O'Brien, Chris "Joseet, Rueben" 2014. Concrete Floors