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Screeds: Data Sheet 22
Screeds: Data Sheet 22
Screeds: Data Sheet 22
CI/SfB Yq4
Issue 1 May 2012
Screeds
Cementitious
Standards
BS EN 13813 is entitled “Screed material and
levelling screeds
floor screeds- Screed material- Properties and A levelling screed may be installed for a
requirements, covers both levelling screeds variety of reasons including:
and wearing screeds. This is a performance
based standard which does not deal with the • to provide a smooth flat surface at the
specification of constituent materials; it states correct level to receive a flooring,
that materials shall have established • to provide a finishing zone in which
suitability. different types of flooring may be
accommodated on a common structural
Definitions for different types of floor screeds, base,
constituent materials and construction • to provide falls,
terminology related to screeds may be found • to accommodate services, (traditionally
in BS EN 13318, which is entitled: Screed screeds have been used as a convenient
material and floor screeds- Definitions. cover for cables and pipes. These are now
placed in purpose designed ducts which base and screed. The minimum thickness
are incorporated into the full depth of the should be 75mm although 65mm is normally
screed. considered satisfactory for domestic housing.
• to cover and protect thermal/sound
insulation, Screed specification
• to cover and protect a damp proof BS EN 13813 is as previously stated a
membrane system, performance based standard it does not
• to accommodate underfloor heating. cover traditional screed materials supplied in
accordance with a traditional prescription or
Levelling screeds are classified as recipe. Cementitious levelling screeds are
required to be classified on the basis of both
• Bonded: A screed that is bonded to the compressive and flexural strength; the
base, standard contains a table listing strength
• Unbonded: A screed laid either onto a classes as shown in Table 1.
separating layer or onto a base not
prepared to achieve bonding,
Table 1: Compressive and flexural strength for screeds
• Floating: A screed laid on an acoustic
and/or thermal insulating layer and
Class
completely separated from other building
elements, such as walls and pipes. Compressive
strength N/mm2 5 7 12 16 20 25 30 35 40 50 60 70 80
The majority of cement sand levelling screeds
Flexural
consist of a cementitious material, fine
strength N/mm2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 10 15 20 30 40 50
aggregate and an admixture. Fine concrete
screeds are produced with a maximum
aggregate size up to 10mm.
This table is applicable to all screed types and
the higher strength classes are not relevant
Types of levelling for cementitious levelling screeds.
References
BS 8000-9 Workmanship on building sites. Cementitious levelling and wearing screeds. Code of practice.
BS 8204-1 Screeds, bases and in situ floorings. Part 1 Concrete bases and cement sand levelling screeds to receive floorings: Code
of practice.
BS EN 13813 Screed materials and floor screeds: Screed material - Properties and requirements.
For a full list of British and European Standards see the MPA Mortar data sheet of technical references.