Thermal mats for concrete: technical characteristics, safety

In this article we will talk about what thermomats are for heating concrete, what is their scope and operational features. The choice of the topic for this article is not surprising, since concrete is widely used not only in industrial construction, but also in the construction of low-rise residential buildings.

Scope of application

Thermomats are used to provide thermal insulation and for infrared heating of fresh concrete, as well as concrete structures at various stages of readiness. In addition, the instruction for the use of insulating mats suggests the possibility of harboring stone and brick masonry for the purpose of more intensive curing.

Thus, the use of these tools is important in the event that construction is carried out under adverse weather conditions or at critical temperature indicators of the environment in both winter and summer.

Correct and timely use of insulating mats helps to prevent the formation of temperature cracks. This is made possible by providing a uniform thermal field.

In accordance with the characteristics and brand, the curing time of concrete, up to the achievement of brand strength, can be up to two days. It is due to the uniform distribution of heat on the freshly filled surface and due to automatic temperature control it is possible to significantly speed up the growth of the strength of concrete and reinforced concrete structures.

Criteria determining the effectiveness of thermomats

What factors influence the efficiency of the heat-saving mat?

Among the main parameters by which we can judge the effectiveness of the product, we note the following:

• The intensity of heat transfer from the heating (working) surface of the coating directly to the surface of the concrete layer;
• The rate of heating by infrared radiation penetrating 25 cm into the concrete mass;
• The degree of uniform distribution of heat in the thickness of the concrete in relation to the degree of thermal conductivity of the mixture.

The advantages of using heating coatings

Until recently, the use of concrete mixture and, as a result, success in carrying out construction work was largely dependent on the environmental factors. If something went wrong, diamond drilling of holes in concrete was required, and then dismantling or repairing the structure.

With the advent of special thermocoatings, this dependence has decreased and it has become much easier to build, regardless of the season and weather conditions.

Summarizing all the above, we list the main advantages of using thermomats:

• deadlines for construction work are reduced by several times;
• optimized use of equipment, formwork and labor resources;
• freezing of the concrete mix in the early stages of drying in the cold season is excluded;
• eliminating the need to expend funds for the purchase of expensive concrete additives;
• high quality of structures and structures erected using concrete is ensured.

Specifications

Currently, heat-saving and heating coatings designed to work with concrete mixtures are represented by a wide range of foreign and domestic products. Among this range you can choose the options that best suit the parameters of the construction and the originally defined budget.

Despite the wide range of products on the market, we present general technical parameters, which will be quite enough for comfortable and efficient use when working with popular brands of concrete:

• The average area and sizes of thermomats are set directly when ordering.
• The operating power is 220 V with the consumed electric power of the radiating element 400-500 W per 1 square meter.
• The presence of an integrated thermostat.
• The average product weight is 2-3 kg per 1m ?.
• The possibility of operation at an ambient temperature in the range from -40 to + 40 ° C;
• A possibility of application at relative humidity of air to 100%.

Features of operation

When using self-heating coatings, you should follow the manufacturer's instructions or the recommendations below:

• In order to ensure safety, installation and connection of the mats is carried out only with the power supply completely disconnected.
• Before connecting to the network and turn it on, it is advisable to gently unfold the product and place the heating side over the heated surface and hold it in this position for about half an hour. This is done so that, due to the heating of a poorly straightened mat, in areas of bends there is no deformation of the radiating element.
• For greater heating efficiency, it is advisable to warm the heated surface and thermomats in the winter time with mineral wool slabs or other thermal insulation materials.
• Before spreading the thermal coating, it is advisable to lay a thick transparent plastic film that will prevent intensive dehydration of the upper layers of concrete.
• Heating mats to the power supply are connected via PPE connectors. In some cases, it is allowed to use other connection methods subject to their full operational safety.
• Heating coatings are connected with the maximum allowable load on the supply cable.

Important: When drying concrete it is impossible to have several products overlapped! At the same time, the distance between the mats should be no more than 10 cm.

Safety measures when using building insulation coatings

In order to avoid overheating of the coating, the temperature of the working surface must be checked periodically during operation. The surface should not be heated above + 70 ° C.

Temperature control, depending on the design features of the product, is carried out by means of built-in thermal sensors, remote infrared pyrometers or automatic thermal switches.

Important: In order to avoid overheating and damage to the mat, do not place heat-insulating non-transparent materials that prevent heat generation between it and the concrete.

Conclusion

Using building insulating coatings you can ensure that the performance of work using concrete is more efficient and of high quality. In addition, the price of the finished result will be lower due to the shorter project implementation timeframes and due to the rejection of the use of expensive complex additives.

If you have any questions, you can find exhaustive answers by watching the video in this article.