Foundations

813 Words2 Pages

1.1 Introduction
In the design and construction of slabs and footings it is important to consider the durability of the finished product and devise ways in which to ensure the strength for which the slab was designed is maintained. Construction techniques and standards exist to ensure that all work is carried out to a specific level of quality to save the hassle of repairing prior mistakes. As with all business time efficiency is of paramount importance and sometimes contractors can overlook crucial elements of the design and supervision. Of course second only to efficiency is cost and usually this is of a high priority.

Theoretically building can be planned in infinite detail and problems could usually be eliminated before construction commences, this is however not the case in practice. Builders on site often have to improvise and take unknown elements into consideration without consulting the designers. Experience in construction usually prevails and minor adjustments to the plan can be made with negligible consequence. This however can not be done in all circumstances and often attempts have costly results.

1.2 Theory
In order to minimize the possibility for these types of error, builders must adhere to a strict code (AS2870) in which all aspects of construction are outlined and processes are detailed. If mistakes occur and for any reason a structure’s integrity breached the builder responsible must ensure that ...

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