Insulating concrete

Lightweight levelling and sloping concrete

Lightweight and economical

Many levelling and gradient layers require only a low average strength of 1.0 to 1.5 MPa. No-fines lightweight concretes in strength class 2 MPa or higher as specified in DIN EN 1520 are suitable for extremely lightweight levelling or gradient layers. The lower the strength, the lower the costs: To achieve the most economical solution, it is sufficient to make use of a levelling layer consisting of no-fines Liapor lightweight concrete with an average cube compressive strength of approximately 1 MPa.

Beneficial structure

No-fines Liapor lightweight concretes are particularly suitable as lightweight, permanently stable levelling layers – even when layers of considerable thickness are used and on uneven floors. There is almost no filling between the expanded clay spheres, considerably reducing the need for fine additives and binding agents. This makes Liapor no-fines lightweight concrete considerably more economical than high-density lightweight concrete. Thanks to its no-fines structure, this Liapor lightweight concrete is able to drain off water very well and is therefore suitable for drainage purposes.

Improved thermal conductivity values

According to the general German building authority approval Z-23.11-1265, Liapor lightweight concrete has thermal conductivity values that are 20 percent better than those defined in DIN 4108-4 (version 7/04): For example, the DIN standard specifies a value of 0.16 W/m for a bulk density class of 0.5 kg/dm3, whereas Liapor achieves 0.13 W/mK. The same applies to the other bulk densities, e.g. for the class 0.9 kg/dm3, Liapor achieves 0.24 compared to 0.30 W/mK in the standard.

Handling at the building site

Due to the low binder content, very little water is required. This accelerates drying and reduces heating costs. No-fines Liapor lightweight concretes are applied using screed pumps or are poured from the mixer and then compacted using boards, squared timber or vibrating beams or plates. However, air-injection is another, faster way of applying Liapor expanded clay spheres. The cement slurry is added directly at the point of ejection by means of a separate spiral pump with a feed capacity of up to 30 m3/h.

Selected references

Building sculpted from lightweight concrete

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Facade with symbolic effect

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Energy-efficiency with Liapor insulating concrete

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