Ventilated Ground Floor
Reinventing the sanitary floor, the Cupolex system enables the construction of ventilated ground-bearing floors with all the inherent advantages.
Principles
The Cupolex system is based on principles of economic and environmental rationalisation that enable the construction of ventilated ground-bearing floor slabs and infill, with clear advantages in terms of functionality and comfort. By ventilating the created voids and through the discontinuity of surfaces, a perfect barrier is established between the interior spaces of the building and the surrounding ground, conferring protection against moisture, thermal losses, and vapours rising from the soil, with positive effects on the healthiness of the habitable space.
Made from 100% recycled material, the Cupolex system also contributes to greater efficiency in the use of production resources — particularly in terms of materials, avoiding the use of natural resources and unnecessary quantities of concrete — and in terms of labour, owing to the simplicity of installation.
Characteristics
The Cupolex system consists of plastic elements that, when coupled, form a sacrificial formwork for the construction of ground-bearing floor slabs or infill. The system has no structural load-bearing function of its own but rather confers a self-supporting geometry to the concrete placed within it, thanks to the domes and numerous supports thus created, while simultaneously allowing free movement during the construction phase.
The complete Cupolex range includes a variety of dimensions from 9.5 cm to 70.0 cm, allowing for a wide range of solutions and configurations, corresponding to admissible loads of up to 18 kN/m².
Concrete consumption refers to filling up to the top of the formwork, not including the slab topping.
For further information, please consult the Cupolex System technical data sheets at www.ferca.pt
Accessories
Beton Stop
The Beton Stop is an element also produced from 100% recycled material, designed to close the arches left by the Cupolex at the perimeter of the area to be filled, avoiding the cutting of formwork elements, eliminating material waste, and ensuring a perfect fit to the geometry of the structure.
Cupolex Windi
The Cupolex Windi models, with heights of 5 and 10 cm, were specifically designed for use on terraces and roofing, ensuring the discontinuity of the concrete placed against the supporting base, providing insulation and ventilation of these surfaces. Due to their dimensions, the Cupolex Windi is equally suited to rehabilitation projects, enabling the creation of a drainage cavity for rising moisture and the corresponding insulation of the interior space.
Advantages
Performance
- Fast and simple installation process
- Adaptable to any geometry
- Creation of a ventilated air cavity
- Barrier against rising moisture and vapour
- Improved thermal performance
- Option to run services within the air cavity
- Resistant to loads up to 18 kN/m²
- Elimination of carcinogenic radon gas
Economy
- Reduced concrete and steel consumption
- Reduced labour and equipment costs; reduced transport costs
- Option for simultaneous concreting with other structural elements
Sustainability
- Reduced HVAC energy costs
- Reduction of CO2 emissions; use of 100% recycled material
- Greater efficiency in the use of natural resources
Effectiveness
Execution
Design
Considering a Cupolex floor at design stage immediately optimises the use of natural resources by replacing gravel infill with a volume of recycled material and air. The load-bearing capacities of the Cupolex floor and the recommended reinforcement requirements for each solution are defined in the following table.
Ferca has the technical staff and resources to assist designers, architects and contractors with the layout, detailing and quantification of the Cupolex solution, providing drawings and material schedules for the project.
Supply
The Cupolex system is supplied on pallets, ready to install on the prepared base created by levelling and compacting the ground, or on the blinding concrete layer.
Installation
Installation of a Cupolex floor is straightforward and requires minimal labour. Assembly proceeds from left to right and from top to bottom, following the arrow moulded onto the formwork element pointing upward, ensuring the feet are correctly locked in place.
Installation Sequence
Videos
Contacts
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