Waffle Pod

Mrs P · Mar 13, 2010 10:01 am

Hi there, this is probably been done but I am shocking at searches.

I never knew waffle pods existed up until we bought our land last year and started to look at builders. I do know its cheaper, is there any disadvantages going with waffle pod. Any info would be great, some people have told me to stay away yet so many builders are using it and reassure me its just as good. One builder we are looking at has always been very old school and is now very much in favour of using waffle pod.

I'm trying to get my head around it all!

kek · Mar 13, 2010 12:52 pm

They're not popular just because they're cheaper ...although that's undoubtedly a factor. On very reactive soils where you get a lot of movement, this type of slab should have more flexibility, therefore there's less movement of the frame and less likelihood of brickwork cracking. Small cracks in cornice joins and skirtings etc will still happen, but those should be lessened too.

Our old place was built on concrete stumps 600mm deep, on extremely unstable clay soil and movement was a real PITA. We're just up the road, on the same soil with a waffle pod slab this time and it's early days yet, but hopefully I'll be spending less time with the No More Gaps and a can of paint.

Mrs P · Mar 13, 2010 5:26 pm

Thanks for that kek. I am just trying to get my head around waffle pod.

So if ground movement isn't an issue. Are there any downfalls to using waffle pod.. long term.

kek · Mar 13, 2010 6:18 pm

16 months down the track, nope..... Ask me again in 20 years. :lol:

Mrs P · Mar 13, 2010 6:36 pm

haha dang I will have built by then!!

The builder we will mostlikely go with didn't want to change to waffle pod, now he won't do it any other way.. I am so used to all that concrete under a house and now they fill it with stuff that protects your tv!

kateypink · Mar 13, 2010 9:04 pm

waffle was an upgrade for us, they didnt want to have to do it but soil testing meant we had to.
We had fixed site cost thank god

mrsnrub · Mar 14, 2010 6:00 pm

I was like you and went out of my way to avoid waffle pods. Probably because the first builder I had picked had a brochure that made them sound like the worst thing you could have and solid concrete was the best.

When that builder went bust I gave up on my fears and simply went with a plan I liked from a different company that uses waffle pods. I have been in since last June and not had any problems with cracking or movement amd I'm on crap clay soil.

The majority of houses that have gone up around me have used them but the one across the street didn't and the slab was filled up with sand rather than styrofoam so I don't think it really matters, they both seem to be filled up with some kind of filler whether it be foam or sand.

I have been told waffle pod slabs are stronger as you get lots of criss cross beams of concrete in between each foam block that provides more support for the slab than a traditional slab. I'm no engineer but it sounds reasonable.

Perhaps somebody in the know can shed more light on the benefits or otherwise.

kek · Mar 14, 2010 8:47 pm

Maybe send onc a PM? :th:

He knows his concrete....he can probably explain it all from an edumacated point of view. :wink:

cherub · Mar 15, 2010 6:51 am

Waffle pods are fine for house slabs, personally would not use for a garage slab if you intend using car jacks etc.

onc_artisan · Mar 15, 2010 9:32 am

Thanks kek.
I am not convinced... :wink:

Also I am not an eng' so can't back my thoughts.
Though history will tell.

btherl · Mar 15, 2010 1:35 pm

My building inspector didn't comment on whether waffle pods are better or worse, but what he DID say is that builders make fewer mistakes with waffle pods than they do with raft slabs. His opinion is that an inspection after slab preparation but before pouring is worthwhile for raft slabs because of the likelihood of errors such as poor waterproofing in the trenches, but such an inspection is not as important for waffle pods as the likelihood of errors is small.

onc_artisan · Mar 20, 2010 11:34 am

Oh right...NOT!

bigred · Mar 20, 2010 12:28 pm

Where does the polystyrene blocks come in? and what the hell are they meant to do?

onc_artisan · Mar 20, 2010 12:49 pm

Well, they reduce the concrete and insulate the slab...
Neither in my opinion are of any benefit.

khpatoary · Mar 20, 2010 9:25 pm

Mine also classified as H class and waffle pod with 385 external beam. Not sure whether 385 is enough as H class?

Mia's Folly · Mar 20, 2010 9:28 pm

Like ONC, I'm neither an engineer nor expert on slabs and if anyone who is reading this has been following our thread, I really don't have any great confidence in engineers full stop, especially after the 'Phantom' soil report saga we had.

I wonder if anyone has done a comparison test between waffle pod and raft slabs and their strength relationship to houses of only 12 -14 sq's as opposed to slabs of 36 -40 sq's in size for a single storey house. To me it stands to reason over a smaller area it wouldn't make any difference at all, but over a much larger area where stress and loads are far different, logic dictates a thicker denser product is going to be far better off in the long run.

Just a random thought I'd throw into the mix.