scope:

This guide emphasizes choosing and proportioning of materials, design details, proper construction methods, and workmanship. Slabs specifically intended for the containment of liquids are beyond the scope of this guide. Whereas this guide does provide a reasonable overview of concrete floor construction, each project is unique and circumstances can dictate departures from the recommendations given in this guide. Contractors and suppliers should, therefore, thoroughly review contract documents before bid preparation (Chapter 3).

Purpose

This guide presents information relative to the construction of slab-on-ground and suspended-slab floors for industrial, commercial, and institutional buildings. It is applicable to the construction of normalweight and structural lightweight concrete floors and slabs made with conventional portland and blended cements. This guide identifies the various classes of floors based on use, construction design details, necessary site preparation, concrete type, and other related materials. In general, characteristics of the concrete slab surface and joint performance have a powerful impact on the serviceability of floors and other slabs. Because the eventual success of a concrete floor installation depends on the mixture proportions and floor finishing techniques used, considerable attention is given to critical aspects of achieving the desired finishes and the required floor surface tolerances.