I hope my terminology is correct...
The initial stage of the construction of a concrete floor involves
filling the underfloor with some infill materials, e.g. hardcore
(broken bricks/rocks etc.).
Are there alternatives to traditional hardcore material? If I'm not
mistaken, I've seen on telly a guy who was using some big plastic
"crates" or boxes to fill the underfloor - then sand was spread over
it + DPM + concrete slab + screed...the TV program was about a big
design project in Italy.
Anyone has any information about this plastic boxes as an alternative
to hardcore?

On Sep 29, 3:09 pm, swimmydeepo wrote:
I hope my terminology is correct...
The initial stage of the construction of a concrete floor involves
filling the underfloor with some infill materials, e.g. hardcore
(broken bricks/rocks etc.).

I think you mean removing all soft disturbed ground from under the
slab and replacing it with something harder (as in hardcore)??

Are there alternatives to traditional hardcore material? If I'm not
mistaken, I've seen on telly a guy who was using some big plastic
"crates" or boxes to fill the underfloor - then sand was spread over
it + DPM + concrete slab + screed...the TV program was about a big
design project in Italy.
Anyone has any information about this plastic boxes as an alternative
to hardcore?

pass - what was inside them? the sand?

Jim K

"swimmydeepo" wrote in message
...
I hope my terminology is correct...
The initial stage of the construction of a concrete floor involves
filling the underfloor with some infill materials, e.g. hardcore
(broken bricks/rocks etc.).
Are there alternatives to traditional hardcore material? If I'm not
mistaken, I've seen on telly a guy who was using some big plastic
"crates" or boxes to fill the underfloor - then sand was spread over
it + DPM + concrete slab + screed...the TV program was about a big
design project in Italy.
Anyone has any information about this plastic boxes as an alternative
to hardcore?

Sounds like an underfloor anti-radon device.
In some areas (inc. UK) radioactive radon gas seeps out of the ground.
There are various methods of keeping ot out of the house. (Causes cancer)

On 29/09/11 15:09, swimmydeepo wrote:
I hope my terminology is correct...
The initial stage of the construction of a concrete floor involves
filling the underfloor with some infill materials, e.g. hardcore
(broken bricks/rocks etc.).
Are there alternatives to traditional hardcore material? If I'm not
mistaken, I've seen on telly a guy who was using some big plastic
"crates" or boxes to fill the underfloor - then sand was spread over
it + DPM + concrete slab + screed...the TV program was about a big
design project in Italy.


I have seen this done in Italy. The plastic egg-boxes or igloos link
together to form a vaulted space a few cm deep between the compacted
earth floor of an ancient cellar and the new floor. I assume it prevents
damp rather than forms a foundation.


--
djc

On Sep 29, 7:53*pm, djc wrote:
On 29/09/11 15:09, swimmydeepo wrote:

I hope my terminology is correct...
The initial stage of the construction of a concrete floor involves
filling the underfloor with some infill materials, e.g. hardcore
(broken bricks/rocks etc.).
Are there alternatives to traditional hardcore material? If I'm not
mistaken, I've seen on telly a guy who was using some big plastic
"crates" or boxes to fill the underfloor - then sand was spread over
it + DPM + concrete slab + screed...the TV program was about a big
design project in Italy.

I have seen this done in Italy. The plastic egg-boxes or igloos link
together to form a vaulted space a few cm deep between the compacted
earth floor of an ancient cellar and the new floor. I assume it prevents
damp rather than forms a foundation.

--
djc

These boxes were actually quite big - I'd say about 40cm deep and
60x60 (lenght x width)? Their shape was similar to some crates with
specially designed corners to make them extra strong...these weren't
filled with sand they were fitted against each other I guess to
elevate the working area of particularly deep underfloor spaces or
where there is quite a big gap from the bottom to where the actual
floor is going to be created.
It would be far easier to handle them rather than dealing with tonnes
of hardcore - the guy on the TV program was able lift each of these
boxes with no real effort.

On 29/09/11 21:27, swimmydeepo wrote:
On Sep 29, 7:53 pm, djc wrote:
On 29/09/11 15:09, swimmydeepo wrote:

I hope my terminology is correct...
The initial stage of the construction of a concrete floor involves
filling the underfloor with some infill materials, e.g. hardcore
(broken bricks/rocks etc.).
Are there alternatives to traditional hardcore material? If I'm not
mistaken, I've seen on telly a guy who was using some big plastic
"crates" or boxes to fill the underfloor - then sand was spread over
it + DPM + concrete slab + screed...the TV program was about a big
design project in Italy.

I have seen this done in Italy. The plastic egg-boxes or igloos link
together to form a vaulted space a few cm deep between the compacted
earth floor of an ancient cellar and the new floor. I assume it prevents
damp rather than forms a foundation.

--
djc

These boxes were actually quite big - I'd say about 40cm deep and
60x60 (lenght x width)? Their shape was similar to some crates with
specially designed corners to make them extra strong...these weren't
filled with sand they were fitted against each other I guess to
elevate the working area of particularly deep underfloor spaces or
where there is quite a big gap from the bottom to where the actual
floor is going to be created.
It would be far easier to handle them rather than dealing with tonnes
of hardcore - the guy on the TV program was able lift each of these
boxes with no real effort.

They come in various sizes. As I said they are similar in shape to egg
boxes so form a vaulted platform, much of the strength is in the shape
and interlock. The underside is not filled, they are laid as a platform
and the screen placed on top, leaving a small void beneath. It seems to
me they are more a means to prevent rising damp.


--
djc

On Thu, 29 Sep 2011 07:09:58 -0700 (PDT) Swimmydeepo wrote :
I hope my terminology is correct...
The initial stage of the construction of a concrete floor involves
filling the underfloor with some infill materials, e.g. hardcore
(broken bricks/rocks etc.).
Are there alternatives to traditional hardcore material? If I'm not
mistaken, I've seen on telly a guy who was using some big plastic
"crates" or boxes to fill the underfloor - then sand was spread over
it + DPM + concrete slab + screed...the TV program was about a big
design project in Italy.
Anyone has any information about this plastic boxes as an alternative
to hardcore?

It sounds like the waffle pod (Google) slabs we have here. As most of our
'houses' are timber frame bungalows in UK parlance, foundation loads are
quite low so the norm is to build off a reinforced slab. The waffle
formers a placed first and create a grid of reinforced beams as part of
the slab.

--
Tony Bryer, Greentram: 'Software to build on',
Melbourne, Australia www.greentram.com

On 29/09/2011 15:09, swimmydeepo wrote:
I hope my terminology is correct...
The initial stage of the construction of a concrete floor involves
filling the underfloor with some infill materials, e.g. hardcore
(broken bricks/rocks etc.).
Are there alternatives to traditional hardcore material? If I'm not
mistaken, I've seen on telly a guy who was using some big plastic
"crates" or boxes to fill the underfloor - then sand was spread over
it + DPM + concrete slab + screed...the TV program was about a big
design project in Italy.
Anyone has any information about this plastic boxes as an alternative
to hardcore?
Foamglass ?. I think you can buy in plastic sacks and just chuck them in
to the required depth then pour the slab.
Ask your local BCO.

Andrew

On Sep 29, 9:27*pm, swimmydeepo wrote:
On Sep 29, 7:53*pm, djc wrote:









On 29/09/11 15:09, swimmydeepo wrote:

I hope my terminology is correct...
The initial stage of the construction of a concrete floor involves
filling the underfloor with some infill materials, e.g. hardcore
(broken bricks/rocks etc.).
Are there alternatives to traditional hardcore material? If I'm not
mistaken, I've seen on telly a guy who was using some big plastic
"crates" or boxes to fill the underfloor - then sand was spread over
it + DPM + concrete slab + screed...the TV program was about a big
design project in Italy.

I have seen this done in Italy. The plastic egg-boxes or igloos link
together to form a vaulted space a few cm deep between the compacted
earth floor of an ancient cellar and the new floor. I assume it prevents
damp rather than forms a foundation.

--
djc

These boxes were actually quite big - I'd say about 40cm deep and
60x60 (lenght x width)? Their shape was similar to some crates with
specially designed corners to make them extra strong...these weren't
filled with sand they were fitted against each other I guess to
elevate the working area of particularly deep underfloor spaces or
where there is quite a big gap from the bottom to where the actual
floor is going to be created.
It would be far easier to handle them rather than dealing with tonnes
of hardcore - the guy on the TV program was able lift each of these
boxes with no real effort.

If there's a large void that requires excessive amounts of hardcore/
infill, wouldn't the best solution be an insulated suspended timber
floor?

On Sep 30, 12:18*pm, mike wrote:
On Sep 29, wrote:





On Sep 29, 7:53*pm, djc wrote:

On 29/09/11 15:09,swimmydeepowrote:

I hope my terminology is correct...
The initial stage of the construction of a concrete floor involves
filling the underfloor with some infill materials, e.g. hardcore
(broken bricks/rocks etc.).
Are there alternatives to traditional hardcore material? If I'm not
mistaken, I've seen on telly a guy who was using some big plastic
"crates" or boxes to fill the underfloor - then sand was spread over
it + DPM + concrete slab + screed...the TV program was about a big
design project in Italy.

I have seen this done in Italy. The plastic egg-boxes or igloos link
together to form a vaulted space a few cm deep between the compacted
earth floor of an ancient cellar and the new floor. I assume it prevents
damp rather than forms a foundation.

--
djc

These boxes were actually quite big - I'd say about 40cm deep and
60x60 (lenght x width)? Their shape was similar to some crates with
specially designed corners to make them extra strong...these weren't
filled with sand they were fitted against each other I guess to
elevate the working area of particularly deep underfloor spaces or
where there is quite a big gap from the bottom to where the actual
floor is going to be created.
It would be far easier to handle them rather than dealing with tonnes
of hardcore - the guy on the TV program was able lift each of these
boxes with no real effort.

*If there's a large void that requires excessive amounts of hardcore/
infill, wouldn't the best solution be an insulated suspended timber
floor?

This is the present solution and after only a few years some fungi
started to appear on the timber joists - the crawling space isn't that
damp but probably it's poorly ventilated and the bricks from the
foundation are probably affected with some fungi or wet rot (worst
still dry rot?)...and it's a terrace house - the problem might be
coming from adjacent houses as there is only a single leaf brick wall
dividing the properties.
The height of the crawling space isn't that deep...maybe 70cm....I
might decide to buy some hardcore but I'm looking for alternatives too.

On Oct 3, 10:47 pm, swimmydeepo wrote:
On Sep 30, 12:18 pm, mike wrote:



On Sep 29, 9:27 wrote:

On Sep 29, 7:53 pm, djc wrote:

On 29/09/11 15:09,swimmydeepowrote:

I hope my terminology is correct...
The initial stage of the construction of a concrete floor involves
filling the underfloor with some infill materials, e.g. hardcore
(broken bricks/rocks etc.).
Are there alternatives to traditional hardcore material? If I'm not
mistaken, I've seen on telly a guy who was using some big plastic
"crates" or boxes to fill the underfloor - then sand was spread over
it + DPM + concrete slab + screed...the TV program was about a big
design project in Italy.

I have seen this done in Italy. The plastic egg-boxes or igloos link
together to form a vaulted space a few cm deep between the compacted
earth floor of an ancient cellar and the new floor. I assume it prevents
damp rather than forms a foundation.

--
djc

These boxes were actually quite big - I'd say about 40cm deep and
60x60 (lenght x width)? Their shape was similar to some crates with
specially designed corners to make them extra strong...these weren't
filled with sand they were fitted against each other I guess to
elevate the working area of particularly deep underfloor spaces or
where there is quite a big gap from the bottom to where the actual
floor is going to be created.
It would be far easier to handle them rather than dealing with tonnes
of hardcore - the guy on the TV program was able lift each of these
boxes with no real effort.

If there's a large void that requires excessive amounts of hardcore/
infill, wouldn't the best solution be an insulated suspended timber
floor?

This is the present solution and after only a few years some fungi
started to appear on the timber joists - the crawling space isn't that
damp but probably it's poorly ventilated and the bricks from the
foundation are probably affected with some fungi or wet rot (worst
still dry rot?)...and it's a terrace house - the problem might be
coming from adjacent houses as there is only a single leaf brick wall
dividing the properties.
The height of the crawling space isn't that deep...maybe 70cm....I
might decide to buy some hardcore but I'm looking for alternatives too.

can't believe hardcore would be the most expensive...

Jim K