Managing Expectations

Summary

Managing Expectations - When designing and constructing an industrial concrete floor slab, it is important to manage the client’s expectations about what can be delivered in both the short and long term.

Technical Information

In preliminary discussions with a client, it is important for a slab’s designer to ensure that the client is aware of the limitations of concrete slab design and construction. These include:

The likelihood of cracks developing both immediately after construction and during the service life of the slab. This is especially true for the areas around dock levellers.
The variation in colour across the surface of the slab which could occur.
The required maintenance regime of joints and surfaces.
The expected working life of the slab.
The possibility that remedial grinding may be required if the floor doesn’t meet the desired flatness specification.