The slab is the foundation your whole building sits on. Two common approaches — conventionally reinforced and post-tensioned — each have their place, and the right choice depends on your soil, your structure and your budget.
Conventional reinforced slabs
A conventionally reinforced slab uses steel reinforcing bar (rebar) cast into the concrete. It's well understood, simple to construct, and ideal for stable ground and standard residential layouts.
Post-tensioned slabs
A post-tensioned slab has high-strength steel tendons that are tensioned after the concrete cures, actively compressing the slab. This lets it span further, resist cracking, and perform well on reactive clay soils that move with moisture.
- Thinner slabs and less concrete for a given span
- Better crack control on reactive and sloping sites
- Faster construction cycles on larger footprints
Making the call
Post-tensioning shines on reactive soils and larger or irregular footprints, while conventional slabs are often the economical choice on good ground. We assess your geotechnical report and design the most cost-effective slab that meets AS 2870 and the National Construction Code.
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