VDF (VACUUM DEWATERING FLOOR)

Flooring Usually, the deficiencies like drying shrinkage, excess water in mix, improper grade/thickness control, poor finishing and curing techniques, and excessive load on the concrete are noticed in conventional flooring during its service period. To overcome the deficiencies of conventional concrete flooring, a system is devised to improve the properties of such concrete floors. The system by virtue of its uniqueness is known as vacuum dewatering concrete in which surplus water (or excess water) from fresh concrete is removed to improve strength, durability, and other properties of concrete by reducing the water-cement ratio (to the optimum immediately after the mix is placed, usually in floors and other flooring purposes. The VDF system is an effective technique used to overcome this contradiction of opposite requirements of workability and high strength. With this technique, both these workability and high strength are possible at the same time. The system is workable for laying high quality concrete floors with superior cost effectiveness to achieve High strength, Durability, Longer Life, Better Finish and Faster Work. 

Need of Vacuum Dewatered 

Flooring There are certain fundamental requirements due to which the vacuum dewatered flooring is preferred to be adopted in large scale flooring work in railway platforms, industrial floors, bridges, RCC Roads, Pre-cast Concrete Products etc. 

· The uncontrolled removal of water from the concrete matrix can result in adverse effects such as plastic shrinkage cracking. 

·Excessive bleeding of concrete can negatively interfere with surface characteristics such as resistance to wear. 

· It renders an economical, time-efficient compaction technique to concrete that can be placed on a medium to high workability. 

· The water added to a concrete mix generally exceeds the optimum required amount of water required to fully hydrate the cement constituent. 

· The additional water functions as a lubrication medium to allow mixing, placing and consolidation. 

· In conventional concreting practice, an important challenge is the prevention or limiting of evaporation of mixing water out of the freshly placed concrete. 

· In hot and windy conditions, it produces concrete of high quality & durability.

Functional Requirements of Floors The following are the functional requirements of floors –

1. The movement of men, machine and materials should be smooth and trouble free. 

2. The hardener on to surface of floors should have hygienic / anti-bacterial properties. 

3. The floors should be easily cleanable and maintainable. 

4. The floors should be wear (abrasion) resistant and chemical resistant. 

5. The floors should have resistance from impact and static loading. 

6. The floors should have anti-slip/ anti-stain properties.