Monolithic concrete slab is a method of construction material pouring that involves a single pour all at once. The term “Monolithic” itself means “all in a single pour”. The primary reasons why this approach is used compared to other available procedures is because it is considerably faster and it requires less costs of labor because the concrete is spilled entirely at the same time.
When it is used for subdivision construction purpose, the constructor needs to make the area more compact and dense by leveling the ground and distributing the soil evenly across the land. The monolithic concrete slab construction is a suitable and most ideal option if the area involves similar ground floor elevations and the slope amount is low. It is also a fitting method to use for areas that do not have extreme cold-hot climates and temperature.
Using monolithic foundation instead of conventional foundation provides some benefits, as listed below:
- Easier and faster construction process: This method allows pouring of concrete floor to begin once the constructor has installed the perimeter trench and distribute the gravel. It also enables the foundation to set faster compared to other methods.
- More solid foundation: Assuming that the reinforcements and the anchor bolts are installed properly then the foundation should be robust.
- Trouble-free maintenance: The foundation requires once in a while examinations only to make sure it doesn’t develop any crack
- Energy-saving: It wastes low amount of energy because there is simply no space between the ground and the property construction, therefore there’s no chance for air to flow through the subfloor.
However, there are also some drawbacks of monolithic concrete slab foundation, as explained in the following:
- Flooding risk: As the property construction is only raised approximately 6” from the flour, there’s a chance that the building is prone to floods, which is a serious condition to consider in some parts of the world.
- Expensive repairs: Pricey cost of repair may be needed if you found any crack in the monolithic foundation
- Lower property resale value: There are some cases where this method may reduce the value of your property. For example, if the potential buyer discovers that there’s a possibility of carrying costly repairs for a house with older monolithic foundation.
Concrete reinforcement and site preparation are the keys of using this specific foundation type. Utilizing monolithic concrete slab method requires you to inspect the land layout closer and do thorough examination upon it.
