Intermediate Floor Casting – Brief Guide To A Durable Construction
Intermediate slab casting is the stage that follows the completion of the ground floor walls and all structural aspects of this level. Synthesized, the slab casting operation boils down to three main actions: casing, reinforcing and then casting. If you’ve already seen how to lay a solid foundation, now here are a few rules for the intermediate floor casting.
For a start, do not forget about the balconies as they are reinforced and poured along with the intermediate floor board. Casing can be achieved both through the timber and the metal casings, the latter requiring some adjustments since they come in fixed forms and working dimensions vary from house to house.
Lay wood beams at a distance of 60 cm apart and fix them with metal or wooden props, lain every meter along the length of the beams.
The next step is to build the floor casing, which will come into contact with the concrete, using foil or empty plastic bag to prevent liquid from dispersing. After this, work on the exterior and interior casings for beams and belt, at which point you can also case the lintels or the stairwell.
Next is reinforcing the beams and belts, reinforcing what will be done according to the design provided by the structural engineer. This step precedes the actual reinforcement of the slab. Before this step, however, you will have to place the plastic pipes for the electrical installation. Before positioning, carefully study the electrical project if you want to have the power source for a chandelier or a classic lamp left in the floor. Use an iron pipe and a hook (which you will bind to the reinforcing plate), which you will need to hook a hanging chandelier or pendant light.
Make sure you also trace spaces for plumbing, heating, ventilation and not least a chimney. All these empty spaces should be boarded with timber frames to keep concrete outside.
Reinforcing the floor board, a very important step, will be done in two stages, each row at a time. First, the lower row will be made of PC52, fi8 or fi10 bars placed at distances that will result from calculations done by the structural engineer so as to form a mesh over which will follow the second row, made of 10cm mesh. This reinforcement will be linked using beams and pegs. Pegs length varies from room to room.
Do not forget to use spacers and bucks, because they will ensure the correct concrete reinforcement. Calculate the volume of concrete required by multiplying its surface and slab thickness. The thickness will be given by the structural engineer and usually is somewhere between 14-16cm.
Pour concrete on a clear day. Remember that casting should be done continuously and seamlessly. After casting, according to the temperatures outside, you will need to water the slab occasionally to avoid its quick drying and hence cracks in it. Demolding will be made after at least 21 days, but after 4-5 days since the pouring the concrete you can start the other masonry work upstairs.
Sources: Firmeconstructii.ro, Casasidesign.ro
