Its not strictly waterproof as its a vapour barrier. Here's a detailed explanation 😊 - cornellengineers.com.au/what-is-a-vapour-barrier-under-a-concrete-slab/
Hi mate, our plumber/drainer uses 10mm recycled aggregate. All sewerage lines comply to regulations as they are inspected by Sydney Water and must pass before approval is granted.
All drainage trenches should be back filled with clay plugs not crashed rock as that allows water to enter the trenches and create slab heave. No regardless of how many piers you have they will not work or help your slab if you have slab heave. Unless your piers are tied into the slab piers are useless and to say all the waffle slabs are designed for H1 soil what about if it's a P soil classification who decides on what slab to build. My soil test classification cost me nearly 6k for laboratory testing which is the proper way of classifying a soil test. But I don't think builders would pay that kind of money for every soil test, they pay for a simple spoilt test they drill most is 1.8 metres but it's a tactile test by hand, unless the soil classifier has tested soil in that region and understand the soils in those areas. Then laboratory testing should be done. No builder will spend extra for soil test.
Stormwater should be directed away from the home when landscaping. Kaplan Homes will provide stormwater drainage where ponding will occur. However, the concrete slab will allow for some movement as a result of the foundation material (soils/clays) under the slab expanding and contracting. This movement is also considered when brickwork is laid as brick control joints are provided where required. The concrete slab will be designed by an external independent structural engineer who designs the concrete slab in accordance with the relevant Standards Australia and Building Code of Australia which takes into account moisture below the slab will occur.
Hi JJ, our Lifetime Structural Guarantee lasts for the lifetime of the building for the duration of ownership by our customers, we provide it as an exclusive peace of mind benefit for our customers only.
@@KaplanHomes structural warranty in Australia only has to last 10 years so I don’t know why you’d throw yourself in the deep end and guarantee a lifetime warranty. Hope you haven’t put that in your contracts mate, for your sake.
@@tommath9263 Thanks for your concern Tom, however our Lifetime Structural Guarantee is genuine and in writing. Our construction is of such consistently high quality that we're one of the few builders in NSW that have been approved to offer this Lifetime Guarantee by the insurers. It's official recognition of how well built our homes are and it's not an empty boast because it's backed up by our insurance. Ultimately this is about protecting our customers and it's 100% in all our contracts ; )
The video shows how the slab will have reinforced ribs running along and across it once the concrete is poured. This results in a very strong, yet light structure compared to traditional concrete slabs. The reinforced ribs provide increased strength in two dimensions, resisting vibrations and soil movement and the design of the waffle slab means less concrete will be used, saving money and also being better for the environment.
It's cheaper to build than a raft slab, sure. But if water gets underneath that slab and you have reactive clay soil, you can end up with slab heave and major damage to the building. That means you need to maintain proper drainage throughout the lifetime of the building and that's not something anyone who builds with waffle slabs seems to ever acknowledge!
@@spk_eze It is true that drainage will need to be maintained due to reactivity of soil, however this does not only apply to a waffle pod slab on ground. Structurally, all concrete slabs bearing on clayey soil will experience heaving, whether it’s a raft slab, bearer & joists on footings, and waffle pod. Waffle pod slabs meet the Australian Standard as do the other footing systems. They are designed, inspected and certified by an external Structural Engineer not the builder. We would not be providing this slab system and giving lifetime structural warranty if it was problematic.
Always keep in mind if the drainage is not included and installed water will get into the plumbing trenches and create slab heave. He is just talking about how they do it but not about the drainage none of the builders talk about drainage. Drainage is so important if this builder in in Australia no matter how many years they offer the law in Australia is only 10 years I have not heard of this builder Kaplan homes unless they are a private independent builder I'd like to see if they installed drainage and sloped the land away from your footing this law is only in Australia. I am no builder or expert I just know because of my own bad experience and 7 years later still fighting our builder, it's great that he post video showing the waffle pod slab but at the end of the day it's still a waffle slab without sloping the land away from your footing and drainage system around your house God help it's not pretty once water I'd under your slab the damage is done. Good luck hope it works out for everyone.
Sorry to hear of your situation. Some general points and about Kaplan; • The land outside the building must always fall away from the home • Surface water drainage is always provided especially to those areas where it is difficult to achieve the required falls • Our concrete slabs are a minimum of a H1 slab • We provide concrete piers in both the filled areas as well as the cut areas, which is below drainage trenches • Problems can occur when owners or their landscapers or concreters do not fall landscaping or paths away from the home or damage surface water drainage during their works • Problems can also occur when planting of gardens and trees are positioned against the house and or excessive watering occurs • We talk about this to our owners at the handover stage and provide information on Foundation Maintenance • We provide lifetime structural warranty not 7 or 10 years. However, homeowners always have a duty of care to look after their home as they do for their car or themselves.
I understand you hand over the booklet of the BTF18 which the home owner responsibility, yet no one talks about the BTF 19 AND BTF22 which is the builders responsability to building a new home, those part A. and B it really hits the builder for not understanding the soil problems, in the 80s I built on the old raft slab for 30 years not even a hairline crack anywhere yet I had a fernery next to the slab at our family room sliding door with overhead sprinkler drip systems or fine spray garden bed next to our house yet we had no problems still today it stands with out any issues. The day they introduced the waffle pod slab everything changed so many regulations for the owner to remember keep in mind we as owners are no experts we are used to our parents homes standing 70 p,us years yet today's new homes don't last 12 months I have going through it now and 100s of new homes with slab heave why do we as the owners have to put up with greed over quality, why not offer the old raft slab with waffle and explain to a new home buyer the difference of building with one or the other, I bet if you told new home buyer the risk associated with waffle pod slab and the legal cost to have the builder come and fix I bet they would choose old raft slab over waffle. I have reached out to a person who is the part writer of the AS2870 and the things he has told me would make anyone head spin, unfortunately politics plays a big part in how laws are passed in the building industry waffle pod slab is one of the worse ones unless water and trees are put into the laws and builders do the right thing waffle pod slab are the biggest killer of new homes. No matter how many years a builder offers its still 10 years by law so why offer such warranties when the law is 10 years I don't understand. You may do the right thing but it's still a waffle slab. I hope you can understand why people get angry like I am they have changed me for ever for distrying my family life which 7 years new home we cannot even live in it yet the big builder keeps shopping around to find experts that will agree with them and issue missleading reports so where is the justice in this. I don't mean to hammer anyone but put yourself in my shoes . Thank you for your reply.
We are quite meticulous when it comes to properly disposing the waste generated from building, all the excess pieces of foam are collected and bagged. Can't help the minute particles, but if its about minimising environmental impact then consider the fact that the waffle pod slab system uses a lot less concrete compared to completely solid slabs. Cement production is responsible for a huge amount of carbon emissions, so the less concrete is used the better.
Doing my semester design project with waffle slab, learned smt from this video. thanks.
You're welcome! Hope you'll remember some stuff from the video 😝
Thanks for uploading - very informative.
What is the black sheet that the waffle pod sits on. Is it a waterproof sheet?
Its not strictly waterproof as its a vapour barrier. Here's a detailed explanation 😊 - cornellengineers.com.au/what-is-a-vapour-barrier-under-a-concrete-slab/
thank you for this informative info!
Our pleasure!
In South Australia 800mm deep is standard
Just curious as to why there's no drainage metal under slab? Crusher dust? Do waffle pod slabs not require any fill?
Hi mate, our plumber/drainer uses 10mm recycled aggregate. All sewerage lines comply to regulations as they are inspected by Sydney Water and must pass before approval is granted.
Most houses don't and it causes under slab drainage issues.
All drainage trenches should be back filled with clay plugs not crashed rock as that allows water to enter the trenches and create slab heave. No regardless of how many piers you have they will not work or help your slab if you have slab heave. Unless your piers are tied into the slab piers are useless and to say all the waffle slabs are designed for H1 soil what about if it's a P soil classification who decides on what slab to build. My soil test classification cost me nearly 6k for laboratory testing which is the proper way of classifying a soil test. But I don't think builders would pay that kind of money for every soil test, they pay for a simple spoilt test they drill most is 1.8 metres but it's a tactile test by hand, unless the soil classifier has tested soil in that region and understand the soils in those areas. Then laboratory testing should be done. No builder will spend extra for soil test.
@@mariofaggiano8247 My builder did, they just passed the cost onto me!
@@Slazmoservicing42090
Designer usually requires Extra bars around penetrations. Why don’t the pods float when vibrating the concrete? Good to see conduits capped.
saves on concrete, but shower drain pops up in winter when the clay expands lol
Nice video. Cheers.
Thank you!
What happens when water goes under the slab
Stormwater should be directed away from the home when landscaping. Kaplan Homes will provide stormwater drainage where ponding will occur. However, the concrete slab will allow for some movement as a result of the foundation material (soils/clays) under the slab expanding and contracting. This movement is also considered when brickwork is laid as brick control joints are provided where required.
The concrete slab will be designed by an external independent structural engineer who designs the concrete slab in accordance with the relevant Standards Australia and Building Code of Australia which takes into account moisture below the slab will occur.
How long is the lifetime warranty you offer
Hi JJ, our Lifetime Structural Guarantee lasts for the lifetime of the building for the duration of ownership by our customers, we provide it as an exclusive peace of mind benefit for our customers only.
@@KaplanHomes structural warranty in Australia only has to last 10 years so I don’t know why you’d throw yourself in the deep end and guarantee a lifetime warranty. Hope you haven’t put that in your contracts mate, for your sake.
@@tommath9263 Thanks for your concern Tom, however our Lifetime Structural Guarantee is genuine and in writing. Our construction is of such consistently high quality that we're one of the few builders in NSW that have been approved to offer this Lifetime Guarantee by the insurers. It's official recognition of how well built our homes are and it's not an empty boast because it's backed up by our insurance. Ultimately this is about protecting our customers and it's 100% in all our contracts ; )
Is raft better then waffle?
absolutely
what's the idea behind the waffle slab exactly
The video shows how the slab will have reinforced ribs running along and across it once the concrete is poured. This results in a very strong, yet light structure compared to traditional concrete slabs. The reinforced ribs provide increased strength in two dimensions, resisting vibrations and soil movement and the design of the waffle slab means less concrete will be used, saving money and also being better for the environment.
It's cheaper to build than a raft slab, sure. But if water gets underneath that slab and you have reactive clay soil, you can end up with slab heave and major damage to the building. That means you need to maintain proper drainage throughout the lifetime of the building and that's not something anyone who builds with waffle slabs seems to ever acknowledge!
@@spk_eze It is true that drainage will need to be maintained due to reactivity of soil, however this does not only apply to a waffle pod slab on ground. Structurally, all concrete slabs bearing on clayey soil will experience heaving, whether it’s a raft slab, bearer & joists on footings, and waffle pod.
Waffle pod slabs meet the Australian Standard as do the other footing systems. They are designed, inspected and certified by an external Structural Engineer not the builder. We would not be providing this slab system and giving lifetime structural warranty if it was problematic.
How thick are the foam slabs? How thick is the cement over the foam?
As The waffle pod technique is popular in AU , if the building quality is good enough and then it will last long life
Xypex?
Always keep in mind if the drainage is not included and installed water will get into the plumbing trenches and create slab heave. He is just talking about how they do it but not about the drainage none of the builders talk about drainage. Drainage is so important if this builder in in Australia no matter how many years they offer the law in Australia is only 10 years I have not heard of this builder Kaplan homes unless they are a private independent builder I'd like to see if they installed drainage and sloped the land away from your footing this law is only in Australia. I am no builder or expert I just know because of my own bad experience and 7 years later still fighting our builder, it's great that he post video showing the waffle pod slab but at the end of the day it's still a waffle slab without sloping the land away from your footing and drainage system around your house God help it's not pretty once water I'd under your slab the damage is done. Good luck hope it works out for everyone.
Sorry to hear of your situation. Some general points and about Kaplan;
• The land outside the building must always fall away from the home
• Surface water drainage is always provided especially to those areas where it is difficult to achieve the required falls
• Our concrete slabs are a minimum of a H1 slab
• We provide concrete piers in both the filled areas as well as the cut areas, which is below drainage trenches
• Problems can occur when owners or their landscapers or concreters do not fall landscaping or paths away from the home or damage surface water drainage during their works
• Problems can also occur when planting of gardens and trees are positioned against the house and or excessive watering occurs
• We talk about this to our owners at the handover stage and provide information on Foundation Maintenance
• We provide lifetime structural warranty not 7 or 10 years. However, homeowners always have a duty of care to look after their home as they do for their car or themselves.
I understand you hand over the booklet of the BTF18 which the home owner responsibility, yet no one talks about the BTF 19 AND BTF22 which is the builders responsability to building a new home, those part A. and B it really hits the builder for not understanding the soil problems, in the 80s I built on the old raft slab for 30 years not even a hairline crack anywhere yet I had a fernery next to the slab at our family room sliding door with overhead sprinkler drip systems or fine spray garden bed next to our house yet we had no problems still today it stands with out any issues. The day they introduced the waffle pod slab everything changed so many regulations for the owner to remember keep in mind we as owners are no experts we are used to our parents homes standing 70 p,us years yet today's new homes don't last 12 months I have going through it now and 100s of new homes with slab heave why do we as the owners have to put up with greed over quality, why not offer the old raft slab with waffle and explain to a new home buyer the difference of building with one or the other, I bet if you told new home buyer the risk associated with waffle pod slab and the legal cost to have the builder come and fix I bet they would choose old raft slab over waffle. I have reached out to a person who is the part writer of the AS2870 and the things he has told me would make anyone head spin, unfortunately politics plays a big part in how laws are passed in the building industry waffle pod slab is one of the worse ones unless water and trees are put into the laws and builders do the right thing waffle pod slab are the biggest killer of new homes. No matter how many years a builder offers its still 10 years by law so why offer such warranties when the law is 10 years I don't understand. You may do the right thing but it's still a waffle slab. I hope you can understand why people get angry like I am they have changed me for ever for distrying my family life which 7 years new home we cannot even live in it yet the big builder keeps shopping around to find experts that will agree with them and issue missleading reports so where is the justice in this. I don't mean to hammer anyone but put yourself in my shoes . Thank you for your reply.
Better to use the real cement
Good for the environment having that styrofoam blowing around the place in wind?
We are quite meticulous when it comes to properly disposing the waste generated from building, all the excess pieces of foam are collected and bagged. Can't help the minute particles, but if its about minimising environmental impact then consider the fact that the waffle pod slab system uses a lot less concrete compared to completely solid slabs. Cement production is responsible for a huge amount of carbon emissions, so the less concrete is used the better.
How does the slab not crack?? What a disaster waiting to happen