Slab Defects !

Given concerns about the curing the slab in the hot conditions, we thought it was worthwhile having an inspector take a look at the completed slab. He found the following defects :

“At the west end of the entry, the slab is approximately 12 millimetres out of level over 2 metres.”

“At east side of laundry/west side of Bedroom 2, the concrete slab is approximately 10 millimetres out of level over 2 metres.”

The Building Commission’s Guide to Standards and Tolerances, Section 2.08 Levelness of timber and concrete floors states; “Except where documented otherwise, new floors are defective if within the first 24 months they differ in level by more than 10 mm in any room or area, or more than 4 mm in any 2 metre length. The overall deviation of floor level to entire building footprint shall not exceed 20 millimetres.”

I sent a copy of Inspector’s report on to Orbit. They indicated that they would pass the report on to the concreter so that they can rectify the slab as required. They mentioned a levelling compound would more than likely be used to rectify but it will be up to the concreter to check and arrange rectification as per industry standard.

Other issues identified by the Inspector were :

“The edge of slab on the south side has broken away in places and may require structural grout to be installed. Not of a structural concern and no exposed reo found.”

“Minor shrinkage cracks noted to several areas. Not of structural concern but to be monitored.”

Completed Slab

The slab was poured at the beginning of a heatwave here in Melbourne. The temperature got to 37 on the day of the pour. The maximum temperatures on the following days were 35, 41, and 38 degrees C. This is not ideal weather for curing of the slab. If concrete is to gain potential strength and durability it must have sufficient water for the hydration of the cement, and a temperature conducive to maintain this chemical reaction at a rapid, continuous rate.  is taking place. I am told that the company supplying the concrete will have adjusted the mix to take account of the weather forecast. Also a curing chemical was applied which created an impermeable membrane on the surface of the slab to prevent loss of moisture.

View from the South East Corner

                                                      View from the North East Corner - Alfresco in Foreground

                                                                  View along length of Slab from West - back 2/3rds

                                                     View along length of Slab from South West - ensuite in foreground

Pour in Progress

The following photos were taken this morning as the slab pour was in progress :

All in Readiness for the Pour

You can see from the picture below, taken this afternoon, all is readiness for the slab pour, scheduled for tomorrow. The waffle pods are in place, along with the re-inforcing steel. The 2 layers of edge formwork for the concrete are also complete. The maximum temperature forecast for tomorrow is 33 degrees. It will be important to ensure that the concrete does not lose too much moisture before it is properly cured.

Good Progress

Dropped by the block on my way to Cranbourne this morning.  Good progress has been made in the last few days with the meter box installed, the set out complete and the drains in place. I think there’s only 1 week of construction work to go before the building industry take their month long Christmas break.

With the exception of possible showers on Tuesday the forecast for the rest of next week is for fine weather. However, there is quite a lot of work required to complete the slab by Friday. The pile of dirt must be removed, the concrete formwork must be set-up and the waffle pods put in place. Although there was no sign of any waffle pods at the site this morning, I remain optimistic. If the slab was completed by Friday the concrete would have a full month to cure before work on the frame commences. On the down-side the first progress payment of 10% would be due.

Building Law Changes to Create Stronger Protections

A new bill introduced in Victoria’s Parliament will provide stronger domestic building protections to avoid costly disputes. A "one-stop shop" will make it mandatory for builders and consumers to work together to resolve building and renovation disputes.

The domestic building dispute resolution service will be run by Consumer Affairs Victoria, and both homeowners and builders will be required to attend hearings when a complaint is made.

Key points:

•           Mandatory conciliation for builders and homeowners

•           Independent advice sought to resolve disputes

•           Builders not allowed to employ their own surveyors

•           Warranty insurance changes expected in 2016

A report from the auditor-general in May found 28 per cent of Victorians had problems with building and renovations, and the current system did not "adequately protect consumers".

That was a massive problem in an industry worth $28 billion a year, Planning Minister Richard Wynne said. "When you hit a snag it's often a big one and when you think that your home is often your most precious asset and indeed most expensive asset, we wanted to ensure we got the system right".

Site Start !

Site start was booked in for Thursday December 3. Sure enough, when I checked this morning, there had been developments. The temporary fence in in place, a dumpster has been positioned on the nature strip, a site scrape has been performed and a portable toilet has appeared. I wonder if the brand name of the portable is designed to instruct its users.

Solsbury Field is now abuzz with building activity happening on many blocks on the eastern side of the estate.

The Site Plan

Here is a copy of our site plan. As you can see, the outer wall of the garage is located on the northern boundary. This leaves about 3m between the northern wall of the house and the boundary. The distance between the southern wall of the house and the south boundary of our property is approximately 1.2m. There are 6m between the back wall of the house and the rear boundary of the block.

The paving for the outdoor area,,porch and garage has been included in the main slab. To facilitate use of a wheelchair, ramping to floor level will be provided at the front and back entrances and the door sills will be recessed into the slab. There is an additional 31sqm of paving for the driveway and path.