Architectural Record Version: 01
Issue Date: 08/01
Page No: 141
Filename: USG_08/01
Writer /Designer: Kenneth Kaiser
Last Revision: xx
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AIA/ARCHITECTURAL RECORD
CONTINUING EDUCATION Series
Thanks to their quick, cost-effective installation, light weight and excellent performance
characteristics, poured gypsum floor underlayments have emerged as a leading choice for a
wide range of commercial, institutional, residential and renovation applications.
Although the products have been used for more than 50
years, only recently have they begun to realize their full
potential. Leading manufacturers now offer complete
specification and application packages, which include
networks of trained applicators, strict quality control
procedures and full product lines designed to deliver
optimal performance for specific job requirements.
Gypsum concrete underlayments are currently a domi-
nant choice in multifamily construction, and their use is
escalating rapidly in commercial markets. The growth in
commercial applications is driven largely by recent
increases in compressive strength performance.
Minimum gypsum concrete underlayment compressive
strength standards, which historically were set at 1,000
to 1,500 psi, have now nearly doubled to 2,500 psi.
While not all gypsum concrete underlayment man-
ufacturers and applicators offer minimum-strength
2,500-psi products, those that do provide architects
with a practical, cost-efficient flooring solution
that reliably meets a wide range of performance
and application requirements. These high-
strength products withstand heavy construction
traffic without powdering, dusting, chipping or
cracking. They also offer improved flowability,
which makes them almost completely self-level-
ing, reducing application time and finished floor
preparation time.
WIDE-RANGING APPLICATIONS
In multifamily and single-family construction, gyp-
sum concrete underlayments provide needed sound
control and fire resistance in a lightweight formula-
tion. They also pr