A void is left under the floor of at least 150mm between the soil and underside of the beam. If heavy clay soil is present it is good practice to increase the void depth to as much as 225mm or possibly more. All organic material must be removed from the soil and the surface should be treated with weedkiller.
Do you have to screed a block and beam floor?
Beam and block floors are typically constructed from pre-stressed concrete beams with concrete blocks between them to form the structural floor, using sand and cement screed to form the finished surface. They have proven to be reliable, quick to install and cost-effective.
Do you need to grout a block and beam floor?
It is important that blocks are not cut or drilled in such a way as to impair their performance. The whole floor area must be grouted with a 3:1 sand/cement mix (using coarse sand) as soon as possible after the fixing of the beams and blocks has been completed.
Do you put DPC under block and beam?
We do recommend that the bearing wall be protected by a suitable dpc at some point below the bearing level of the floor beams. This is a requirement of our BBA certificate and is to protect the pre-stressed steel within the beam.
Can you cut block and beam?
Yes you can go through a beam and block floor by taking out blocks but cutting beams is a whole new can of worms. Be fun digging a pad through a narrow gap but not impossible. Brick pier will have to sit on something.
How far can block and beam span?
Under normal residential loading, the 155mm House Beam can span up to 7 metres while the 225mm Deep Beam can span up to 8 metres.
Whats cheaper block and beam or slab?
Beam & block floors
While a simple concrete slab can be relatively cheap, it takes time to lay and dry out, so over the last few years, the beam and block suspended floor has become more prominent. It’s slightly more expensive, especially on relatively small jobs, but for speed and convenience it’s hard to beat.
How much bearing does block and beam need?
The beams are supported by the inner leaf, with a bearing of 75-100mm. The profile of the beams resembles an inverted T, which provides a recess of 100mm to accommodate standard blocks on their side.
How do you seal a block and beam?
To seal the joints, the whole floor should be grouted with a nominal 3:1 sharp sand/cement mix as soon as possible after fixing the floor joists and blocks. Brushing the grout over the floor with a stiff broom after the surface has been well ‘wetted’.
Do beam and block floors need ventilation?
The Building Regulations Approved Document C states suspended timber floors and suspended concrete floors (including block and beam) have a provision for ventilation on two opposing external walls of not less than 1500mm² per metre run of external wall or 500mm² per metre² of floor area, whichever works out to give the
