What is a base course?

The term base course originally comes from road construction. In the overall structure of the road or path, i.e. in the profile, it refers to every area and the materials and layers installed there that lie under the surface layer, i.e. under the road surface or paving.

Similarly, the term is used at WARCO for the materials and layers that lie under the WARCO tiles or under the WARCO paving, i.e. the level, load-bearing and stable surface on which the WARCO floor is laid.

In general, a distinction is made between bound and unbound base layers. Put simply, a bound base course consists of one piece (e.g. a concrete slab), while an unbound base course consists of many elements that are not firmly bonded together (e.g. a gravel pack). WARCO adds another category to the system and divides the base courses into 3 groups:

Unbound base courses

• Grown or poured soil
• Sand or gravel
• Ballast, concrete ballast - levelled with chippings

 Grid-shaped base layers

• Plastic honeycomb grille
• Metal grating

Bonded base layers

• Concrete, asphalt, tiles or tiles
• Concrete paving, interlocking paving or concrete slabs
• Roofing felt, flat roofing foil, bitumen sheeting
• Natural stone slabs or natural stone paving
• Exposed aggregate concrete slabs
• Composite panels, screen printing panels, multiplex panels, sheet metal
• Double standing seam sheet
• Wooden floors, parquet, laminate or WPC

A particularly detailed definition of the term base course can be found at Wikipedia.