Beam Tech, suppliers of Concrete Beam & Block Flooring and System Advisors
Concrete Beam and Block Flooring
“Economical and fast, durable and quick to install, this system could be the best choice for your project – and not just for the ground floor”, says Leigh, founder and CEO of Beam Tech.
“I came across beam and block flooring in 2003 while working on a housing project in the UK. Back then, beam and block was a new technology. When our project developer suggested the beam and block floor, we were skeptical. Usually, all innovations are more costly we have taught. We got a quote from a beam and block company.
And I was quite surprised. We have saved more than double the money, and the construction took two days instead of five to fit the floor. Inspired by my experience, I decided to bring this technology to Thailand and make flooring easy accessible, and fast.”
Oversite options
Once the footings are in, you’ve got a choice in terms of what you use as the platform on which your home will be built.
In Thailand usually, the simplest solution was to fit timber joists covered in floorboards. Usually, suspended timber structures can be draughty and noisy, so they won’t suit modern builds, where decent levels of insulation and airtightness are required.
The most used option today would be a concrete slab laid on top of compacted hardcore. The latter would be covered with a layer of sand, known as blinding, to protect against sharp edges, plus rigid foam insulation on a damp proof membrane.
While this is a common choice, the labor for it is pretty high and you’ll need to wait for the concrete to cure before you can continue your work.
What is beam and block flooring?
Block and beam system is made of a series of inverted T-beams made of armored concrete, which look remarkably similar to train rails in profile. These beams are cut to a specified length and the length is determined by the construction drawings.
On-site, they are laid perpendicular to the supporting blockwork walls that make up the inner leaf of the footings. The rails rest on a damp proof course and have a 100mm bearing; in other words, they cover the whole width of that inner leaf of blockwork.
The beams are laid at suitable centers to allow them to be filled with standard-sized lightweight aircrete or dense aggregate blocks until the whole slab area is covered. The floor structure is then brushed over with a 4:1 dry mix of rugged sand and cement to fill the gaps. Because this is an entirely dry process, in that no mortar or adhesive is required, as soon as the slab is laid, it forms an instant working platform, ready for your follow-on trades.
Each installation will be tailor-made to suit the project by the supplying company. The system is coming with detailed plans that show the layout and orientation of the beams, the specification of blocks to be used, and any relevant construction details.
Why would you use beam and block?
One of the main reasons is simply, speed. Beam and block are very quick to install. Part of it is because there’s ground preparation time. The resulting labor savings make it very cost-effective.
There are other benefits to think about; including improved acoustic performance, higher thermal mass, and greater fire resistance. What’s more, concrete as a material is more fireproof and lasts longer than wood and timber. Resistant to moisture, rodents, and termites it’s a perfect choice of material in a humid climate.
They can also be used with any structural systems at ground floor level, from masonry and insulating concrete formwork (ICF) through the various timber frame methods.
Beam Tech decided to bring this technology to Thailand and make flooring easily accessible, and fast.
How to order beam and block
Beam Tech are suppliers of beam and block and provide advice on use of the system.
Send us project specifications for your floor.
We send you the quote and time estimate along with our “Housing Easy Guide”.
We deliver the blocks and beams ready to fit with a guided step by step manual.
The fitting can start. Easy, efficient with no cutting or extra work needed.
Go to Beam Tech’s website at http://beamtech.asia/ for further details.
