Slab Floor Below Grade Meaning

Except in the case of an at grade slab concrete floor most residential structures that have a basement or crawlspace below cannot carry the weight of a concrete floor.

Slab floor below grade meaning. In construction a grade slab is a relatively flat concrete structure built on top of the soil at ground level. The concrete slab is often placed on a layer of sand for drainage or to act as a cushion. The soil support system beneath it is there to support the slab. The concrete slab that is directly supported by the grade meaning the bottom of the structure which is normally earth.

What is a subbase subgrade. Some of these types include hardwood and bamboo. The slab on grade can be installed on the virgin ground a layer of stone or porous material etc. This is no different than the foundation for a building.

Every floor located above this ground level on grade is considered to be above grade leaving the basement level to be commonly referred to as below grade the grade level where you intend on installing the new hardwood flooring will dictate what construction s of hardwood flooring you will be limited to. Grade refers to ground level and slab refers to the monolithic concrete pad. This simple slab design differs from the reinforced slab technique used for elevated concrete floors and does not require support from underground footers or foundation walls. Houses built on a slab lack crawlspaces and there is no space under the floor.

Structural support functions the floor slab of the below grade building enclosure must be designed to carry downward vertical gravity loadings as well as any upward soil or hydrostatic pressure loadings. In many deeper structures the. What lies below your concrete slab is critical to a successful job. Downward vertical gravity loadings exist from the dead weight of the floor slab and any occupancy live loads.

The design of the slab on grade is engineered. Slab on grade foundations are most commonly used in climates that do not experience ground freezing and thawing as this can lead to cracks in the concrete and shifting of the foundation. A slab on ground or slab on grade by definition is not intended to be self supporting. A slab on grade does not have any voids below it and can be as thin as 4 inches.

Below grade flooring below grade refers to flooring that is installed below the earth s surface this could be anywhere from 4 inches to 30 feet below ground or deeper. A slab on grade foundation is a solid concrete slab that rests on the ground.