The Construction Process of a Concrete Floor Slab
The construction process of a concrete floor slab includes the erection of formwork, the placement of reinforcement, the pouring, compacting, the finishing of the concrete, and the removal of the curing and formwork of the concrete slab.
Building a concrete slab is a step-by-step process, that needs to be followed accordingly.
The step-by-step construction process of a concrete floor slab
- Assembling and erecting the formwork for a slab
When formwork is assembled, it is primarily designed and planned out to withstand the construction load that will be placed on top of it. The load musshouldt include both the concrete pressure, along with the weight of the construction workers, operators and most importantly, the machines.
There are also many other construction aspects, such as the position of the concrete slab, its lining and leveling position, the sealing of the joints, and the prevention of protruding nails into concrete, that must be considered.
Wood, aluminium, and steel are often the materials that are used the most and work best, to create the structure of a concrete formwork slab. When constructed, there are also many deficiencies that may affect the construction of the slab, such as inadequate nailing, welding, fastening or bolting, improper lateral bracing, a lack of field inspection, a lack of structure examination during the concrete placement, and using damaged lumber or more accessible materials, due to it being cheaper.
- Preparing and placing a reinforcement slab
Before the placing of reinforcement starts, it must be inspected, and its form checked, to confirm its dimensions and that the location of the slab is correct, as well as in line with the structural plan.
The forms must also be properly cleaned and oiled, but not too much either.
The reinforcement details can be found on the design drawings, which only requires to be understood for the size that’s being used for the size of the bars.
After preparation, the steel bars get placed in their positions, according to the provided, specified spacings.
- Pouring, compacting and the finishing process
The mixing, transporting, along with the handling of concrete, must be coordinated properly.
It is the step where concrete placing begins, where it gets deposited into its final position, to prevent segregation. This phase must be monitored by a site engineer.
- Curing concrete and removing its formwork
In the final phase, after finishing, the concrete must be cured adequately, which may include a water cure, ponding, flooding of the concrete, or spraying mist on top of it.
It is also recommended to remove all formworks after 14 days.
