Concrete Slab Technology

There are several structural design and analysis softwares you can use for your work. Are you a civil engineer?. I might send you a demo of STRUDS if I can able to upload it. STRUDS is a very good designing and analysis software.

Thanks.

If you are looking for a low cost solution, you may have to deviate from the conventional reiforcement design. There are precast beam slab arrangements available in the market. You use beams of about 200mm deep at a spacing of about 450mm and the gap is filled with un - reiforced concrete tiles and finished with a screed concrete top with 6mm dia. wire mesh. The beams are reinforced with high tensile steel strands. Generally the vendors sell the total solution and claim that it is about 30% cheaper than the conventional design. The limitation is the spacing between the walls (ie. the span of the eleveted slab) as the beams are produced at certain lengths.

Try these two web sites for efficient flooring systems. They are beam and block which has been described above by mahisril. They are alot less expensive than a concrete slab for a home builder. They aslo have the advantage of being lighter in weight than an equivalent concrete slab mainly due to the prestressing and precambering of the beams which makes them more efficient than a straight forward slab. Once they have the slurry applied to fill the cracks and a screed to level out, then they also produce the diaphragm action necessary for floors in traditional buildings.

If you give your layout to the chosen company, they will do the calcualtions and technical drawings for you as part of their normal service.

I would not have thought it a problem to obtain these materials in a capital city such as Islamabad although it might be more difficult outside of the capital.

However. if you do wish to do a concrete slab yourself, you will need plenty of props, timbers and planks.

http://www.bison.co.uk/

http://celcon.co.uk/

S. K.

The two phrases in your inquiry, "concrete slabs" and "low cost house" reminded me of an interesting story.

http://www.answers.com/topic/sampoong-department-store-collapse

The moral of this story is that 1. sometimes "low cost" and "concrete slab" must be combined with great care...and 2. avoid unsupported slab-on-post construction by ensuring that you employ plates and beams over columns below the slabs.

I realize you are only building a principle residence; but it doesn't hurt to throw a little fear into the equation to keep you safe. The Sampoon disaster was directly caused by the owners insisting upon the cheapest route. And the damage and human misery they caused by placing money in importance over safety landed them a lengthy jail term, and probably cost them much much more than they could ever have hoped to make from their department store in private lawsuits.

There are also local concrete companies that might have experience turning your design into reality for you, allowing curves, sweeps, and cantilevers that are artworthy and remarkable, and without your having to do the calculations make the correct dimensional adjustments for you. I know there are a couple near Toronto who have built some remarkable residential structures entirely from concrete.

Mark

Hi, re. your concrete slabs.

Some years ago I read a book on Ferrocement by Mr Stanley Abercrombie;
(it may be obtainable from the library, or online book sellers.)

it will likely inspire you to use light weight forms of concrete construction.

It involves a very thin layer of cement over reinforcement wire. (like, chicken wire)

I have often thought of using it myself, but never had the time.

Hope this some help. (don't hold me responsible!)

fastfreeads.

http://www.fastfreeads.com

The ferro cement is a fiber glass-entrained cement used to create (amongst other things) boat hulls.

In order to use it, the aluminum "chicken wire" has to be supported on a hull form (that is often left after casting to act as a nailer for interior furnishings) by small aluminum chairs, with openings for ports, etc, pre-set, and usually with frames in place.

It must be poured continuously until the entire hull is finished to prevent one part healing before others, and screeded to the correct depths as it is applied, so that pouring a ferro cement boat hull can take several shifts of skillful cement masons working continuously over 24-48 hours.

The difference between ferro-cement boat hulls and others, including steel hulls, is that in sailing her over a reef, if the bottom hits, the reef will be broken off, and the hull will most likely not even be cracked. All other materials will be holed.

My Multi-Generation Bio-reactor Machine is designed using ferro-cement, or some similar light tough variety, with fiberglass mesh and rods instead of steel to prevent spalling.

Mark