Mario Sommer

Head of Techn. Assistance/Project Consulting

Sopro Bauchemie GmbH

Biography

Mario Sommer was born on 2 March 1964 in Schupbach, Germany. He started his career at Ato Findley Deutschland GmbH, Germany, as a construction consultant and seminar leader. In July 1999, Mr Sommer joined Sopro Bauchemie GmbH in Wiesbaden, Germany, as Deputy Head of Technical Assistance, where he is now Head of Technical Assistance and Project Consulting. Since 2009, Mr Sommer has been an authorised signatory of Sopro Bauchemie GmbH and since 2014 he has also been a publicly appointed and sworn expert for failures in buildings with ceramic coverings. Mr Sommer also participates in various working groups and standards committees. He has been a board member of the BAKA Bundesverband Altbauerneuerung e.V., Berlin, since June 2023.

Presentation Abstract

Large-Format Ceramic Coverings - a Challenge for Adhesives

Ceramic coverings are becoming increasingly large in size and their design appeal has been discovered by building owners and architects. Formats of up to 100x300 or even 160x320 cm are now used for ceramic coverings. These ceramic materials are preferred for the design of wet rooms, terraces, facades or swimming pools. What is desired is a durable structure that will function reliably for 30-40 years, even under daily conditions and weather influences.

However, larger formats pose a challenge for the adhesives, as they have to absorb all the stresses that occur and at the same time achieve a strong bond with the sometimes very smooth, impermeable backs of the tiles.

The presentation will provide details on good construction site practice for large-format coverings as well as information on the performance of adhesives and construction chemical solutions.

Surfaces with large-format tiles (100x300 cm, 160x320 cm) have only a very small proportion of joints compared to surfaces with small formats (30x30 or 60x60 cm). This means that the relaxation points (joints) in the tile surfaces are missing, which means that the bonding must work particularly well.

On the one hand, the adhesive must be very elastic in order to compensate for stresses and, on the other hand, it must also be pressure-resistant in order to absorb high traffic loads. In addition, the adhesive must cure and dry quickly under the large, dense slab despite the small number of joints under construction site conditions.

Installation techniques and the differences in installation results are shown.

Presentation Time

Breakout VII - Performance Additives

Friday, 13 September 2024, 9:30 - 10:00

FEICA Conference