What is a Floating Slab?

The floating Slab can be described as concrete slabs placed on the ground with no any anchoring. This means that they simply sit and float on top of them. Like its name suggests, is the shape of a plate. It is placed on the surface of the water and there is no connection between them.

Why do you need a Floating Slab?

A flat slab is thought to be one of the most economical ways of constructing the foundation for a house. Typically the strip foundation is utilized for foundation construction with a frosted wall over.

Strip footings are foundations that are less than the frost-level of an area. It is generally kept between 3 to 4 feet below grade. The cost of construction for strip footings as well as front wall building tends to be higher than regular foundation construction , which requires an area that is larger to be cleared for foundations with greater concrete work and construction is needed.

Also Read: Spread Footing

Construction of floating Slab

The construction of Floating slabs requires specifics. The building that is planned needs a strong and sturdy foundation that is strong enough to support the weight of the superstructure on it. They are often used for garages, extensions to houses or sheds do not always require a huge foundation. These structures have less weight in terms of structural strength compared to other structures.

Thus, floating slabs are believed to be the most appropriate and cost effective in comparison to traditional slab construction. The primary construction layers of floating slabs are depicted in Figure 1. The process of construction includes these steps

1. Site Excavation to support Floating Slab Construction

The initial step to take when building floating foundations is to wash the area and excavate it space as per the plans. This is the first step in preparing for construction.

The process also involves making drainage holes in the sides of the slab to allow water to drain into the foundation of the gravel, as is shown below. The trench that is constructed is then covered with geotextiles as well as gravel, as shown in the image below. This will help remove water from the foundation of the concrete slab.

2. Setting Gravel Base to Drainage

Create a gravel grid prior pouring the gravel. Add an 8-12-inch gravel base in a variety of dimensions, and then compact each layer to increase the long-term durability.

3. Reinforcement of Slabs

The slab mold can be used for casting. In order to reinforce slabs, reinforcement bars are supplied according to the dimensions and codes.

4. Casted Floating Slab

Concrete is poured onto the slab formwork. It is then compressed by my hand or mechanical vibration, dependent on the size of the slab and the quality of work. The proper compaction needs to be achieved for the slab to be fully productive. A proper treatment must be carried out for two to three days.

Also Read: Tributary Area

How do I build a Floating Slab?

Step 1: Prepare A ground floor slab

The first step is to drive the four stakes to every corner of the slab that is floating. Also, employ line, level, or builder's levels to assess whether the ground is sloped soil at the site of construction. If there's an overly steep slope, and flattening it, it is a matter of the removal of tons of soil, which increases the construction costs.

Therefore, you should cut down the top of the slab, and fill in the with soil that is on the bottom portion of the slab. It will decrease the expense of moving soil from one side when it settles at the same location.

Step 2: Mark and Lever on Side

Create a wooden board with a length of 2x12 inches or join it using a the cleat to mark one of the faces of concrete forms, and then fix it to the corner stakes.

Then, level the 2x12 wooden block and then fix it to an additional corner. 2x12 boards are the best choice for the construction of 5 inch slabs for sheds and garages.

Step 3: Perform Bracing of Side Forms and Stakes

Repair the Manson line at both sides of this 2x12 wood board. The 2x12 board should be aligned to the string, and tack it, or fix it using 2x4s that are spaced in pairs and placed every two feet.

Forms are braced to make sure that the sides are straight when concrete is poured. Because concrete that is fresh can pull these boards out that can result in a curving of the slab along the sides of the flooring slab.

Step 4 Fix the Another Side using Stake and level it

Create a second 2x12 wood board that is equivalent to the length of your slab. Secure one end by bracing the form and setting the angle at 90 degrees by using the the diagonal length calculator. Set stake fixers on the end, then make sure it is level. Then brace the second wooden form.

Similar to the 4th and 3rd sides of the floating slab formwork.

Step 5: 5 Level and Fill Work

Now, fill 3 inches of soil with five inches of bordering the top on the form. Then, level and press the soil properly.

After filling, we must examine the 5-inch margins left across the entire slab are. To check that, we must run the string is placed between the two tops of the two appears at different positions and then check the distance.

Also Read: Live Load Vs Dead Load