Granolithic
Encyclopedia
Granolithic screed, also known as granolithic paving and granolithic concrete, is a type of construction material composed of cement
and fine aggregate
such as granite
or other hard-wearing rock. It is generally used as flooring, or as paving (such as for sidewalks). It has a similar appearance to concrete
, 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. Screeds are a type of flooring laid on top of the structural element (like reinforced concrete
) to provide a level surface on which the "wearing flooring" (the flooring which people see and walk on) is laid. 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. The aggregate is usually sifted so that the particles are roughly the same size, which helps reduces 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. 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 expoy 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.
Cement
In the most general sense of the word, a cement is a binder, a substance that sets and hardens independently, and can bind other materials together. The word "cement" traces to the Romans, who used the term opus caementicium to describe masonry resembling modern concrete that was made from crushed...
and fine aggregate
Construction Aggregate
Construction aggregate, or simply "aggregate", is a broad category of coarse particulate material used in construction, including sand, gravel, crushed stone, slag, recycled concrete and geosynthetic aggregates. Aggregates are the most mined material in the world...
such as granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
or other hard-wearing rock. It is generally used as flooring, or as paving (such as for sidewalks). It has a similar appearance to concrete
Concrete
Concrete is a composite construction material, composed of cement and other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water and chemical admixtures.The word concrete comes from the Latin word...
, 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. Screeds are a type of flooring laid on top of the structural element (like reinforced concrete
Reinforced concrete
Reinforced concrete is concrete in which reinforcement bars , reinforcement grids, plates or fibers have been incorporated to strengthen the concrete in tension. It was invented by French gardener Joseph Monier in 1849 and patented in 1867. The term Ferro Concrete refers only to concrete that is...
) to provide a level surface on which the "wearing flooring" (the flooring which people see and walk on) is laid. 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. The aggregate is usually sifted so that the particles are roughly the same size, which helps reduces 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. 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 expoy 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.