Help - Lady in distress

[fulabeer]

At no point should copper pipes and cement come into contact.
As a very minimum, the pipes should have been covered/taped.
The above is to protect the pipes, and does not cover your other problem.

The problem with the cracking is due to heat expansion and/or a weak screed mix.
If i had to run copper below concrete/screed, i would run them through conduits.
I would leave enough room at each end to allow them to expand and contract.
However, i would use plastic (x-barrier) pipe if it was my choice.

Without seeing the work, and without knowing all the circumstances, i kind of get the impression you are being fobbed off.
They are trying to "band aid" a mistake, that will only be sorted by digging up the entire floor.
The pipes want re-running in conduit, or at very least covered/lagged. (this does allow a slight amount of movement)
My preference would be to swap the pipes for plastic (x-barrier) for the part that is below floor.
The floor should then be re-screeded.

Consider contacting your local building inspector.
Your council office should be able to give you his/her number.

 

[Scott]

The pipe should be wrapped in pipe wrap or hairfelt or similar when encased in a floor. I encase all pipes copper or other wise, the pipe can be grey or white for domestic. (The blue is incoming mains only)

If the heating is switched on when the back filling is still wet then it will shock it and crack and dry it too quickly. Not a great time of year to do it unfortunately

 

[Barry bp]

Cement corrodes copper over a period of time copper pipes must always be lagged when in screed the problem is no lagging which also allows for expantsion and the pipes are not laid deep enough in the screed .To do the job properly the pipes need to be relayed in a deeper channel and some form of lagging put round them ,just putting new bit of screed over pipes how ever strong will not work.Its a bigger job than they want to let on