Control joints in residential slabs: where to cut them and why
A slab will crack. The question is whether it cracks where you chose, in a neat line at a joint, or somewhere random across the panel. This article covers joint layout, depth and cutting timing for shrinkage control.
11 min read
Topic
Slabs
Articles and news about Slabs for Australian builders.
Control joints in residential slabs: where to cut them and why
A slab will crack. The question is whether it cracks where you chose, in a neat line at a joint, or somewhere random across the panel. This article covers joint layout, depth and cutting timing for shrinkage control.
11 min read
Ordering concrete for a slab: specifying strength, exposure and slump
The concrete order is the last point at which a builder controls the mix. This guide sets out what the order must carry, and what to check on the docket before the pour starts.
11 min read
Site classification and choosing a slab on reactive soil
On a reactive site the slab is an engineered response to the ground the engineer classified. This article explains how that classification drives the slab choice, and why a builder cannot substitute a different type without sign-off.
11 min read
Substrate flatness and moisture checks before floor coverings
Floor coverings fail from underneath. This is how to verify flatness and moisture before you hand over a slab or sheet substrate to the flooring trade.
14 min read
Curing concrete in hot weather: what actually prevents cracking
Hot weather does not crack concrete by itself. It drives moisture out of the surface faster than the mix can replace it, and the surface shrinks against a cooler core. The decision that matters is when to start curing, and that is a measurement, not a guess.
11 min read
Slab edge thickness and setdowns: getting levels right before fitout
Setdowns and edge thickness are fixed the day the formwork goes down, but the consequences land weeks later with the tiler, the shower screen installer and the door hanger. Here is how to tie the slab setout to the finishes schedule before you pour.
11 min read
Waffle raft slab defects: a pre-pour and post-pour fault-finding checklist
Most waffle raft defects are locked in before the pump truck arrives, and most of the rest are caused by what happens in the first days after the pour. This is a fault-finding checklist built around the failure modes specific to waffle rafts.
12 min read