Roof Slabs: Types, Advantages, and Importance in Construction
The roof slabs are the important components in the building structures which help to serve a dual function of support as well as separation between the different levels. Apart from the load-bearing functions, roof slabs also act as the ceiling for the lower floor as well as a base for the upper floor. The roof slab is the final part of the building which provides a significant impact on the safety, quality and sustainability of the building structure. Several aspects need to be considered while designing the roof slab as follows:
Waterproofing features
Proper waterproofing of the roof helps to protect the building from water infiltration and moisture thus helping to prevent structural damage of the building.
Energy efficiency
The roof slab also helps to contribute to the energy efficiency of the building structure through its thermal insulation features. Good thermal insulation helps to reduce heat loss in the winter season as well as prevent overheating in the summer season thus helping to cut the energy costs of the building structure.
Sustainability
The choices for the building materials influence the environmental footprint of the building structure. The use of eco-friendly construction techniques and sustainable building materials helps to improve the overall sustainability of the building structure.
Occupant Comfort
The occupant comfort of the building has been also increased through a well-designed roof slab. This helps to ensure a stable indoor temperature, helps to reduce external noise as well as provides a more pleasant environment for the building structure.
Structural design of the roof slab
The responsible technician is involved in the designing of the roof structure which can be done in several stages:
Determining maximum loads
The maximum load which can be resisted by the roof slab has been calculated by engineers.
Selecting appropriate structural materials
On the basis of the predicted loads, suitable structural materials for the roof slabs have been selected to ensure that those materials can resist those loads.
Structural design
The design of the supporting structure also helps to make up the roof structure which helps to ensure that the roof slab is adequately sized for distributing the building’s loads evenly thus helping to prevent the chances of building collapse.
The verification of the structural safety
Detailed analysis is also necessary for verifying the structure of the roof slab which helps to meet the structural safety needs of the building structure.
Concept about reinforcement of the roof slabs
The reinforcement of the roof slab helps to incorporate the reinforced steel bars or mesh into the concrete roof slab. This helps to increase the structural strength and durability of the roof slab. In addition, the reinforcement of the roof slab also helps to stand with the tensile stresses and thus protects the roof slabs from cracks.
Materials used for roof slab reinforcement
The materials that have been used for the roof slab reinforcement are:
Steel Bars
The steel bars also known as rebar which is the used reinforcement in the roof slab construction. On the basis of the grades and diameters, the steel bars vary. The steel bars can be of different types including mild steel bars, thermo-mechanically treated bars, and high-yield deformed bars.
Steel Plates and Strips
This reinforcement material has been used within the slab to provide additional strength to the roof slab. This type of material has been also used for higher load-bearing slabs.
Steel Mesh
This is the network structure of the steel wire which helps to provide the necessary reinforcement for the smaller slabs and thus helps to distribute reinforcement of the roof slabs uniformly.
Fiber Reinforced Polymer Rebar
This reinforcement material helps to offer good resistance as well as high strength to corrosion. This type of material has been used in extreme weather conditions.
Pre-stressed and Post-tensioned Tendons
These materials have been made from high-strength steel and used for the pre-stressed concrete slabs.
Detailed procedure of roof slab reinforcement
The roof slab reinforcement has been done by following several steps which include:
Preparing the roof slab construction site
In this step of the roof slab reinforcement, it needs to be ensured that the site is levelled, the foundation of the building is strong and the supporting structure of the building has cured properly.
The formwork building
In this step, the formwork is built to hold the concrete in place. In this context, the formwork has been made of steel, wood or aluminum. The formwork should have precise dimensions and should be strong enough to keep the concrete in place.
Place the reinforcement bars
The placing of the reinforcement bars within the structural framework has been done on the basis of the designs. In this context, the reinforcement should be done on the basis of the thickness, span and patterns of the grids. The connection with the grid has been done to form a strong reinforcement framework.
Pouring the concrete
After the reinforcement rebar was placed, the mixed concrete was poured carefully into the formwork. The vibrators have been used to remove the air voids which help to create a strong bond between the bars and the concrete. The complete filling of the slabs helps to ensure that there is no leakage in the formwork.
To learn more, watch the following video tutorial.
Video Source: Civil Bro
Curing process
Once the concrete pouring is done, it allows the RCC slabs to set. After setting and hardening the slabs, the curing process was done with water which helps to keep it moist and cool. Several days took for the curing process until the concrete attained full durability and strength.
Demolding process
After the curing process, the moulds have been removed from the roof slab. This helps to make the roof slab suitable for plastering, electric works and other types of construction procedures thus the roof slab reinforcement process has been completed.
