Building Components – Slabs & Floor and Subfloor
Slabs
According to the Oxford Dictionary, a slab is a:
‘large, thick, flat piece of stone or concrete, typically square or rectangular in shape’. Slabs provide the foundation for buildings, whether residential or commercial. Without a suitable slab, a building can become unstable and in danger of collapse.’
Slabs can be built of various materials such as concrete (reinforced with steel). They can be laid directly on the ground or suspended.
Floor and Subfloor
Floors in any construction need to be supported by the underlying structures. These are known as subfloors or sub-structures.
Sub-structures provide the structural integrity of the floor system. They can also offer heat and noise insulation.
Common floor systems include:
- Stump and bearer systems – comprising of bearers and joists, whether made of timber, engineered wood or steel.
- Concrete slab floors – poured on-site into the formwork, to the dimensions of the finished construction.