Vibrating Screed: The Professional Concrete Paving Tool – Setafi

A vibrating screed is a handy tool that allows you to compact the concrete surface with high quality. Thanks to this, it will not have holes, cracks and other defects. How the device is arranged, and how to use it correctly, is described in detail in the article.

Tool device

Vibrorail is designed to compact and level the surface. Its main part is an aluminum frame that looks like a building rule. In the center is a gasoline or electric engine. It rotates and transmits momentum to the mechanism with an eccentric. Due to this, vibrations occur, they affect the aluminum frame. As a result, it effectively compacts and levels concrete.

The rake can reach a length of 0.5-1 to 8-10 m. To know how to work with a vibrating screed, you need to choose the appropriate design. They produce telescopic, sectional and rigid options. The latter do not add up, so they are transported in their original state.

Also vibrolaths are classified according to another criterion:

1. Single - consist of one ski (working surface), which levels the concrete floor.
2. Double - consist of 2 frames that are connected to each other by means of a crossbar.

Allocate floating and guiding tools. It is easier to manage floating ones, since their frame does not exceed 5 m in length, while they can work with a thickness of up to 180 mm. The guides are wider, but they work with a layer reaching 300 mm.

How to use the device

Before you start using it, you need to figure out how to work with a vibrating screed for laying concrete. To do this, it is necessary to calculate how to correctly orient the guides and proceed with ramming. The main steps are:

1. Wear special clothing.
2. Position the guides at the zero mark according to the instructions.
3. Set the desired engine power (depending on the layer thickness).
4. Pour the concrete mixture so that its surface is slightly higher than the level along which the guides go.
5. Get to work, making sure that the guides do not go astray.
6. At the end, carefully remove the remnants of the mixture, rinse the guides and the ski itself.

To understand how to use a vibrating screed for concrete, it is important to monitor the level of the concrete mix. It should not go below the working mark. If the level has gone too low, you should add a new volume of the mixture and walk again with a vibrating ski.

It is worth considering the features of the gasoline apparatus. You can start work only at the moment when it picks up the required number of revolutions. From practice it is known that the best indicator is 1500. In this case, the apparatus is pulled by the ropes, which are attached to the handles with the help of carabiners. It is better to work slowly so that the surface is as dense and even as possible.