The most common types of slabs in Australia are precast slabs, slab-on-ground, and suspended slabs. The choice of which one to use will depend on your specific needs and preferences. You should also assess the size of the slabs as well as your soil’s ability to bear a load.
At Complete Concrete Frankston, we recommend consulting with a reputable concreter before deciding on the slab for your property. Our team of experts will guide you in choosing the right type of slab to meet your needs. We’ll also take into consideration the load-bearing capacity of the soil on your site and the size of the slab.
In this post, we’ll take a look at the most common types of slabs used today.
Slab-on-Ground
A slab-on-ground is a type of concrete slab where the concrete is poured directly onto the soil or ground. It’s a common type of slab used in residential construction and is particularly suitable for areas with expansive soils. You can learn more about expansion joints here.
There are two subtypes of slab-on-ground slabs:
Waffle Pod Slab
The first subtype of slab-on-ground concrete is the waffle pod slab. It gets its name from the waffle-like pattern on its underside, which helps distribute the slab’s weight evenly. Waffle pod slabs are more efficient with materials and are commonly used in construction projects.
Conventional Slab
The second subtype of slab-on-ground concrete is the conventional slab. These concrete slabs are the type that is supported by columns and beams. Each slab is typically composed of a reinforced concrete slab along with columns that transfer its load straight to the foundation.
Suspended Slab
Suspended slabs are a type of concrete slab that is supported by a network of columns and beams. They’re raised above ground level and typically sit above a basement or crawl space.
These suspended slabs are commonly used in areas where the soil can’t provide enough load-bearing capacity or in places prone to flooding.
A key difference between a suspended slab and a conventional slab is that a suspended slab doesn’t sit directly on the ground, giving extra space underneath for things like storage or living areas.
Precast Slab
Precast slabs are fairly common concrete slabs used in Australia. They’re concrete slabs that are cast off-site in a factory-controlled environment and then delivered straight to the job site for installation.
The slabs are made by pouring concrete into forms and then letting the mixture harden and cure before shipping. Most forms are made from metal or wood and can be used a few times over, which makes them more efficient to produce.
These precast slabs are often used in large-scale residential projects, like when a bunch of housing units are built at once.
Find out how to choose a concreter by reading our blog here.
