
Slab-on-grade construction is a somewhat uncommon method of home building that replaces the conventional foundation wall and basement or crawl space with a concrete slab that rests directly on grade. Some typical characteristics of concrete floating slabs are: thickened edges with two #4 rebar running continuous around the perimeter, rebar reinforcement throughout the entire slab or fiber mesh, and one course of block with galvanized anchor bolts installed about every five feet and within one foot from each corner to which the sill plate is to be anchored to.Slab-On-Grade Construction - Technical Guideĭeciding to build your home with a slab-on-grade foundation instead of a conventional basement or raised crawlspace foundation can greatly reduce your environmental impact during construction, and has the potential to offer significant financial savings as well.īy replacing concrete with lower-impact and better performing building materials like high performance insulation, you can eliminate many tons of greenhouse gas emissions from your building materials as well as during the future operation of the home. The structural design varies with each city. What is the structural design of a floating concrete slab? We will also schedule all necessary inspections that are required to complete the concrete portion of your project. Unlimited Concrete Concepts can design and submit these drawings for you and pull the permit. The city requires a set of drawings detailing the location on your property where the concrete floating slab is to be placed and the structural design of the concrete. There is usually little excavation required and floating slabs take less time to complete.Īll floating slabs require a building permit obtained from the city in which you live. The reason you would go with a floating slab instead of a frost protected foundation is because floating slabs are cheaper to install. Why should I go with a floating slab instead of a frost protected foundation? In this case you will need frost protected footings and a block foundation. A floating slab cannot be used if the structure that is built upon it is attached to your house. Floating slabs are most commonly used when building a detached garage or shed.

A floating slab does not have frost protected footing and is designed to “float” with the ground during the winter months. New garages are most commonly built upon a concrete floating slab.Ĭoncrete floors for pole barns are installed after the pole barn is built.Ī floating slab is a concrete slab foundation on which a structure is built.
