Flat Slab Building – Versatile Reinforced Systems
When every industry and sector is aiming for faster, cheaper and stronger, it’s no wonder that the building industry is leading the charge with valuable building innovations. Being in the steel industry allows us to watch with interest these advances and adjust our products accordingly.
Flat slabs, or flat slabbing as it’s also called, is one such building technique. Let’s find out what it is and why it works.
What is Flat Slab Building?
A flat slab is a two-way reinforced concrete slab which makes use of prefabricated formwork for rapid placement of horizontal panels and partitioning. It generally does not require girders or beams as the loads are carried by supporting concrete columns.
The drop panels on the supporting concrete columns serve to augment the strength and capacity of the horizontal panels which makes it a cost-effective and robust system.
Welded mesh forms the backbone of a section of flat slab, with the prefabricated sizes assisting with cost and construction of the slab.
Advantages of Flat Slabs
Why would engineers choose a flat slab over a conventional reinforced floor system?
Reinforcement
The reinforcing of a flat slab is simple, making it easy to position.
Flexibility
Once in place, partition walls can be positioned anywhere which offers a host of room layout options for the building owner or tenants.
Reduction in Building Height
Floor height can be reduced by up to 10% because no beams are used.
Cost-Effective
Standardised sized and prefabrication mean less construction time and lower building costs, although the slabs themselves are not cheap.
Flat slabs with their strength, ease of installation and simple design can be used for a number of building elements such floors with curved shapes and ramps. These durable and versatile flat slabs offer architects and engineers a tremendous amount of freedom in design – another key step forward in versatile building designs.
