General

• Installation should be in accordance with the Agrément holder’s requirements and current good building practice;
• During installation care must be taken to avoid damaging the components. Should damage occur, the concerning component should be replaced according to the Agrement holders’s requirements. Any damaged EPS blocks should be replaced before pouring the concrete.

Delivery & Site Handling

• The EPS blocks and top sheets are delivered on site, wrapped in polythene
• The EPS blocks and top sheets shall be stored in clean, dry conditions, stacked on a flat base, clear of the ground (to avoid contamination), protected against prolonged direct sunlight and secured to avoid wind damage; care must be taken to avoid contact with organic solvents
• The EPS blocks and top sheets shall be protected from being dropped or crushed by objects; care shall be exercised when storing large quantities on site
• The EPS blocks and top sheets shall not be exposed to open flame or other ignition sources and be stored away from flammable material such as paint and solvents
• To ensure maximum performance of the component when installed, on site precautions shall be taken to protect it from contaminants.

Site Preparation

• The final minimum void depth shall be increased appropriately where clay soil of low medium- or high-volume change potential exists, to prevent problems associated with heave
• Where there is good natural drainage or site drains are provided to prevent water collecting and standing, the ground level beneath the floor does not need to be raised to the external ground level
• The ground beneath the floor should be free of topsoil and vegetation; oversite concrete or other surface seal is not required, but material added to bring the solum to an even surface must be hard and dry
• A continuous damp-proof course shall be laid along the support wall below the floor in accordance with BS 810219.

Installation – General

• Always insure that a minimum of 150mm ventilated airspace is beneath the floor; ventilators shall be positioned to allow air to pass beneath the floor
• Precast concrete beams shall be laid in accordance with the relevant beam layout drawings
• Build up inner leaf of blockwork and allow adequate time to cure prior to floor being installed
• All blocks shall be installed from above
• Push fit the pre-formed start & end units first denoted by the cross hatching (starter units) and single hatching (end units) shown on the beam layout. Note; these units can be cut further to start/end the sequence as indicated on the beam layouts
• Lay the full/half units denoted by 540mm or 270mm starting from the starter unit working towards the direction of the end units. Cut sheets (100mm flat panels) are used to fill in the cut runs. Where a block has to be cut down to a length of 300mm or less, it shall be located at the edge of the floor and extra care taken to avoid damage by foot traffic. The EPS blocks are to be cut as appropriate to accommodate service penetrations, e.g. soil vent pipes, and the resulting gaps filled with expanding foam or other insulation to minimise local thermal bridging and air infiltration
• Install the top sheet. Note; There are not to be joints in the top sheets running parallel to and above the PCC beam or beams within the width of the beam or beams for their full length, nor joints perpendicular to the PCC beam or beams within the width of the beam or beams within 375mm of the centreline of a span perpendicular partition. The EPS top sheet insulation is laid over the floor and cut with a handsaw to accommodate service holes and part sheet widths where necessary. Small off-cuts can be used to seal around service penetrations
• If specified, underfloor heating pipes can be installed. These can be secured to the top sheet using standard pipe clips. Ensure that a minimum 75mm thickness of concrete topping above the pipes is maintained
• A gas barrier membrane can be installed where required and laid over the floor in accordance with the Agrément holder’s requirements