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béton de propreté

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n. m. · blinding concrete (UK) · mud slab (US) · also: lean concrete

Definition

FR
Couche mince de béton peu dosé coulée au fond d'une fouille, sous une semelle ou un radier. Elle donne une surface propre et plane pour poser les armatures et couler la fondation, et elle évite que le béton de la fondation soit pollué par le sol. Elle ne participe pas à la structure.

EN
A thin layer of lean concrete poured at the bottom of an excavation, under a footing or a raft. It gives a clean, level surface for placing the reinforcement and pouring the foundation, and it keeps the foundation concrete from being contaminated by the soil. It plays no structural role.

Diagram

Section under a strip footing.

Example sentences

Written (email, official document)

FRBonjour, le béton de propreté est coulé, vous pouvez commencer les armatures de la semelle.

ENHello, the blinding concrete is poured, you can start the reinforcement of the footing.

Spoken (standard)

FROn coule le béton de propreté demain, puis les ferrailleurs arrivent.

ENWe're pouring the blinding concrete tomorrow, then the rebar crew arrives.

Spoken (informal)

FRLe béton de propreté, c'est juste pour avoir une base propre, ça ne porte rien.

ENThe mud slab is just there to have a clean base, it carries nothing.

Nuances and pitfalls

Two words, two uses. In the UK, say blinding or blinding concrete; blinding alone can also mean a layer of sand or fine gravel over fill. In the US, mud slab usually refers to this lean-concrete layer under a slab or a raft.

Possible false friend: “propreté”. It is not cleaning in the literal sense: the layer separates the foundation from the soil and gives a clean surface to work on.

Validation

French term, register, FR sentences : ✓ validated
US/UK equivalents and EN sentences : ✓ validated
Diagram : ✓ validated

Reviewed by Raphaël B. · 3 Oct 2026

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