An Overview of Concrete Slabs

A concrete slab is a flat, rectangular and reinforced concrete structure, which can be sized in it length and width but is of a lesser depth, and used in the construction of floors, roofs, bridge decks, etc.

Design

There are many designs, for a suspended slab in order to develop the ratio of its strength and weight. In all the cases only the bottom side is changed where as the top surface is flat:

o Corrugated, here the concrete is discharged in a ridged tray made of steel. It increases the strength of the slab and stops the bending of the slab underneath the weight of its own.
o Ribbed slab, here significant additional strength is given on 1 direction.
o Waffle slab, here extra strength is given in both of the directions.
o One-way slab, here the structural strength is given in the shortest direction.
o Two-way slab, here the structural strength is given in two directions.

The Building of Concrete Slab

The concrete slab might be either a prefabricated one or an in situ one. In prefabricated slabs, the slabs are built in factories and are taken to the site where it is lowered to its place between steel or concrete beams. It might be pre-stressed in the factory, or post-stressed at the site or even turn out to be an unstressed one. The main disadvantage of such slab is that if they are not of the right dimensions, it might not fit. In case of in situ construction, the concrete slab is built on the site of the building using a box into which wet concrete mixture is poured called formwork.

Rebar's are to be positioned in the formwork before concrete mixture is poured into them, if the slabs are to be reinforced. When concrete sets completely and to ensure it has completely enclosed the reinforcement, either plastic tipped metal or plastic bar chairs are utilized so that the rebar is held away from the foundation as well as sides of the formwork. Formwork used for a ground slab may only have sidewalls pressed into the floor where as form-work used for a suspended slab is in the shape of a tray, and is supported, till concrete sets, using a scaffold. Wooden planks in addition to boards, steel or plastics are commonly used to build a form-work. Plastics and steel are commonly used on business building sites as they cut back labor cost, whereas on low budgeted sites, like for making a concrete garden path, the wooden planks are used as they are cheap.

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Precast Concrete and Granite Products-an Overview

Get the best quality pre-cast concrete and granite products for building or refurnishing your homes or your office buildings. The company offers a range of different products that is made up of precast concrete or from granite. To know more about the precast concrete, granite products and other such products and items log on to www.doublelconcrete.com or pay a visit to their office located at Calliaghstown, Rathcoole, Co. Dublin, Ireland.

If you are looking building components made from pre-cast concrete, then you have choices like window sills, pier caps, wall caps and other such concrete structures. Pre-cast concrete is basically made up of cement, water, fly ash and other materials. These pre-fabricated concrete components are used to make pavements, over passes, brick walls, architectural structures, gates to lay down foundations, roads or motorways, fences, parking structures, poles, and various other structures.

The pre-cast concrete is also solid in structure and helps in barring sound from outside and thus helps in noise reduction. Pre-cast concrete is used for pavements and you may use the concrete paving blocks or paving slabs for adding a nice touch to your concrete driveways and pathways. Double L Concrete, one of the leading concrete suppliers in Ireland, offers you various concrete and granite products having the best quality. The company can also help you with laying the concrete pathways and other installations. For more details and information on installation, you can contact their workforce who is available at your service 24/7.

Apart from pre-cast concrete products and laying down your concrete driveways, the concrete suppliers also provide other products.  You can opt for granite products such as tiles that may be used for your bathroom, kitchen countertops, and various other products that can be used in and around your home. You can log on to the www.doublelconcrete.com to know about the different granite products offered by them.

The company also provides products and services related to building components, driveways, paving, fencing, garden products like furniture and lamp lets, hardware supplies such as nails, screws, safety equipments and various other such useful products that can be used in the construction and finishing of any building or structure. Double L concrete is a renowned concrete supplier that has been in this field for over 20 years. They company is a C2 approved member of the Guild of Master craftsmen. Log on to www.doublelconcrete.com to get more information on pre-cast concrete and other products and services provided by the company.

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