What makes Nostra’s concrete slabs different? Concrete slabs play an integral role in the foundations of your home design. We believe that the strength of the home starts with the foundation. That is why we go above and beyond the recommendations set by our own engineers. Concrete Strength Nostsa Homes uses 25mpa strength concrete in all of our slab designs while the industry standard is 20mpa strength concrete for a waffle pod slab. MPa is the metric unit for pressure or stress called megapascal (MPa). The term is used in concrete as the common unit for compressive strength. The higher the MPa strength grade there is more concrete and less sand and gravel in the mix. Slab Thickness In addition to stronger concrete we also design our slabs to a 400mm thickness overall. Normal H class slabs have a free board (thickness of concrete above waffle pads) of 80 to 85mm and the slab height is usually set at 380 to 385mm above ground level. At Nostra our free board is designed and poured at 100mm and the top of the slab sits at 400mm above ground level. This 15mm extra thickness over the entire footprint of the foundation provides much more concrete throughout the slab. For example on a home that is 25 squares in total this equals to in excess of an additional 2 cubic metres of concrete within the slab than industry standard for the same sized home. Slab Pour Method As part of our commitment to further stability we also utilise pod spacers within each slab itself. These spacers are linked between each of the waffle pods, they ensure 110mm spacing between each pod (ideal space) and that the pods are completely stable during the pouring of concrete around them. Without these spacers there is a greater chance of the pods moving during the pour of the concrete, this can impact the future performance of the slab. The implementation of pod spacers during the pour mitigates this risk. Using stronger concrete, and pod spacers only assists further in strengthening the overall performance of the slab over time. We believe in quality, in all aspects of our process and it starts with our inclusions - we build homes that we are proud to call home ourselves. For more information on our structural inclusions or to discuss our inclusions in more detail please contact us today via one of our online enquiry forms or on our office number 03 8331 3500.