What is slab foundation?
It is a kind of foundation, constituting structural element, which transfers load (resulting from building weight) onto soil.
Most frequently, it is made of reinforced concrete (combination of concrete with steel rods such as bars, ropes, cables, mesh etc.) or mass concrete.
Nowadays, slab foundation is a norm in prefabricated, energy-efficient and passive building industry.
When is it worth applying slab foundation?
- When the house body is complicated. Then, bigger quantity of main walls is necessary. What’s more, main walls in traditional foundation must be supported by continuous footing. As a result, the cost of continuous footing is higher and the execution takes more time. Slab foundation does not require such operations because its strength is the same on the whole surface.
- When ground conditions are difficult. Structural loads in traditional building foundations are transmitted only to continuous footing. In contrast, these loads in slab foundation are spread out on much bigger surface. What’s more, slab foundation is less prone to subsidence.
- When it’s important for us to make foundations quickly. Time, necessary to execute slab foundation, is considerably shorter than in case of traditional foundations.
- When digging deep foundation trench is impossible because of pipe or other utilities location. Foundation sab allows for smaller intervention on soil base than in case of traditional foundations. It can be executed at depth of 50 cm.
Advantages of slab foundation application:
- Loads are spread out on much bigger surface and, as a result, pressure on the ground cm2 is considerably smaller.
- Lower susceptibility to subsidence.
- Better thermal and damp insulation, much easier to execute;
- Shorter lead time
- By making foundation we gain floor on the ground at once.
- Lack of deep excavation because slab foundation can be made even at 50 cm depth (depending on a few factors)
Difficulties connected with application of slab foundation:
- At designing stage it is necessary to plan location of service lines;
- Possibly higher construction cost, depending on the kind of ground;
- Lack of possibility to prepare concrete in economical way;
- When the construction is finished, it is not possible to add basement later.
What is insulated slab foundation used by QMetters and what are its differences from normal slab foundation?
Insulated slab foundation is currently the best solution as far as thermal insulation is concerned.
Additional slab insulation not only improves building energy-efficiency but it also protects foundation from cooling down. It is directly connected with additional savings for heating the building.
What’s more, increasing insulation materials prices make that the additional insulation investment pay for itself more and more quickly.
Insulated slab foundation has become a requirement in passive and energy-efficient building engineering.