Construction of cement floor

A cement concrete floor is made of cement concrete finished with a cement-sand topping. It is cheap, strong, durable and fire-resistant, and is used in houses, godowns, schools and offices.

Method of construction

1. Preparation: the ground is cleaned, levelled and compacted. A layer of 100-150 mm hardcore (brick soling) is laid and rammed. On damp sites, a damp proof membrane is added.
2. Base concrete: cement concrete 1:2:4 (or 1:3:6 for light use), 75-100 mm thick, is laid in panels of about 2 m x 2 m, using wooden or steel strips as screed guides. It is tamped and levelled.
3. Topping: while the concrete is still green (within 2-3 hours), a 12-25 mm topping of cement-sand mortar 1:2 is applied.
4. Finishing: the surface is levelled with a straight edge and trowelled. Neat cement is then sprinkled on it and finished with a steel trowel (punning) to get a smooth surface. The dividing strips can be removed and the joints filled.
5. Curing: the floor is covered with wet sand or gunny bags and kept wet for 7-10 days.

   topping 1:2 (12-25 mm)  ~~~~~~~~~~
   PCC 1:2:4 (75-100 mm)   ..........
   hardcore (150 mm)       oooooooooo
   compacted earth         //////////

The floor can be coloured by adding oxide pigments, and a hardener (such as iron filings) is added for heavy-duty floors.