We have a slab!

Our concreters finsihed the slab today! What an amazing process, and what a lot of concrete.


to this


and finally, a smooth surface!


What a day!

Congrats Maylandmanor. Would have been an exciting day.

It's always quite interesting watching people doing things differently in different places! Which state was this MaylandsManor??

Also, from your blog site, there's this photo

http://bp2.blogger.com/_tm8euBgPV8o/RrxOvksKK1I/AAAAAAAAAGo/IG73pJs2sUI/s1600-h/IMG_0806.JPG

what are those steel/metal thing? Never seen that before...[/url]

The Aliens have landed !!

Never seen anything like that before.

congrats!

Thats one massive lot of concrete!!

What are all the raised sections of slab for?

aliens!! well almost!
we are building in Adelaide. Double brick home means 1.6m foundations, even to support internal walls. so basically they had to dig 1.6metre trenches the whole way through the house and then fill them with concrete. the big metal looking things are to support the row of steel that had to be slightly raised off the bottom of the trenches and support to the top row of steel level with the top of the trenches. so basically, the sticky up bits of steel were lowered down into the trenches to support the steel bars.
the raised bits are for a structured timber floor (well it's only 40mm really so it's not that structured) we initially wanted to full structured timber floor but they wanted us to have 6m foundations to support this so this was the only compromise the could come up with. the floorboards go down the corridor and out to the open plan kitchen. the other drop downs are just wet areas. is that what you meant by your question Vanderlay?
thanks everyone
Helen

Yeah...must be a South Aust thing ! They dont seem to drop the wet areas down here - the slabs are level except for the garage.

maybe south australians are more prone to overflow / flooding

and having no idea about footy...... whoops...better not start the interstate rivalry!

seriously...does anyone know why the difference???

mmmmh, i think flooding might have done Port Power some good!! Not sure why the difference. I know that our footings have been done 'the way they used to be done' and certainly building double brick has dictated that to a degree. not sure why we would have a set down for wet areas and other states don't. is your slab rough in the wet areas ( ) that sounded funny when I read it back!
Helen

I believe our wet areas are smooth... Are yours rough as well as stepped down?

yep, wet areas are rough and stepped down and then the concrete is angled towards the drain hole.
H

ok...so is that the hallway through the middle with raised rooms on either side?? (your third pic?)

Well done with the pictures - most people miss the slab pour because it's over so quickly.

Bingo. We have a floor plan on the blogsite that probably makes it a bit clearer. it is quite a traditional design with a long corridor with rooms off either side opening to open plan area. our block is quite narrow (15m) but very long (40m) so we were limited with what we could design. The corridor will be done in oak floor boards (20mm) and joists (20mm) so they will become level with the stepped up bits.

I agree well done. I only have two pictures off my mobile phone for the slab. I wish I had a camera that I could leave set up onsite on a post that took a picture every couple of hours of the house being built so I dont miss a thing. I really just want to sit on the block and watch but then I have to go to work to pay for the house

it is hard for us to miss something because as owner builder we arrange everything ourselves so we know when everything is going to happen. while this means lots of headaches and phonecalls, it also means lots of photographs and even more satisfaction that it is all a product of our organising!! it has been a huge learning experience though which I am sure you all feel too! law18, you might have just come up with some sort of moneymaking scam with your camera idea

WOW - that's some serious footings you have there Manor!!

But looking at your blog and that massive crack in the old place, it's probably little wonder that the new place was going to need something substantial. !!!

What suburb are you building in ?
Steve

hi steve.
we are building in maylands (portrush road/magill rd) {maylandsmanor} note my genius username!
the house we knocked over did have some serious cracks in it but it was built on landfill with 300mm foundations : no wonder that cracked!
where are you building? do you have a blog? I will have to do a search!

Ahh Hah - Good area and i think you did the right thing - yes the old place would have had lots of character in that area, but what would you have had in the end - maybe same dollars spent and still a crumbly house.
But as you know know - the landfill needed lots of deep foundations to get a hold of the earth to stop the cracking 2nd time round.
Nice name composition
I'm not building, doing a reno job on a late 70's place overlooking the sea. No blog but there a few pics at some of my other posts.
Good luck and have fun building you new abode.
Steve