Design and installation of ceramic tiling

Oct 28, 2003

28/10/03 - A new technical manual produced by the Centro Ceramico in Bologna in cooperation with Mapei and the CNA will be published during the first few months of 2004.
Aimed principally at designers and tile installers, it will also be useful for manufacturers, materials suppliers, professionals and end users. The new book, coordinated by Giorgio Timellini (Professor of Materials Science and Technology and lecturer in Applied Chemistry at the Engineering Faculty of the University of Bologna) is intended as a first attempt to regulate the sector while awaiting a standard that is still not forthcoming and to improve the exchange of information between all parties involved in the creation of tiled surfaces.

The information contained in the manual refers to the European standard produced by CEN (European Committee for Standardization) and in particular the technical report entitled "General rules for design and installation of ceramic tiles" (prCEN TR 13548) and the recently updated text of the "Code of Practice for design and installation of tiled floor and wall surfaces", a document produced by Mapei with the cooperation of the Centro Ceramico in Bologna as part of a project included in the National Programme of building research.

The in-focus section contains an introduction to the structure of the manual and a list of the chapters.posa_ok.jpgStructure of the manualStructure of the manual

Each chapter in the manual is divided into three separate section which are immediately identifiable and easy to distinguish graphically. The first section contains general rules, mainly of a conceptual and qualitative nature. Each chapter makes reference to the corresponding section in the technical report CEN/TR 13548, of which the general rules form the first part of specifications.

The second section looks at specific requirements, mainly practical and quantitative. These are based on the Centro Ceramico/Mapei Code of Practice and the experience of the Centro Ceramico in Bologna and complete the prescriptive part of the manual in a way that is consistent with the previous general rules.

The third section contains detailed technical and scientific information and explanations, etc., and aims to make the reader aware of the technical factors that underlie the requirements of specifications.Contents of the manualContents of the manual

1. Introductory and general aspects
2. Exchange of information
3. Requirements of ceramic tiling
4. Materials
5. Analysis of the place of installation and conditions of use
6. Analysis of the surface to be tiled
7. Design. Choice of tiles
8. Design. Choice of installation technique and sizing
9. Design. Applications
10. Installation
11. Initial cleaning, protection and maintenance
12. Conclusions

Annexes

A.1. Definitions and terminology
A.2. Symbols for the principal layers constituting ceramic tiling
A.3. Ceramic tiles. Standards: references and guide to use
A.4. cementitious mortars and screeds. Standards: references and guide to use
A.5. Ceramic tile adhesives. Standards: references and guide to use
A.6. Ceramic tile grouts. Standards: references and guide to use