Trade Journals for the Concrete Industry

The use of precast concrete floor slabs as permanent formwork for the construction of composite precast floors is the norm in many countries. However, except for ensuring the safety of workers on site and fulfilling their primary function as lost formwork, they have almost no additional benefit. Many of the innovations developed for these elements have taken a radical approach, completely changing the materials or technology. The general approach is consistent when addressing developed markets with high purchasing power. However, for emerging countries, these innovations are inaccessible either because of their industrial complexity or because of the associated production costs. The purpose of this study was to design a new generation of floor slabs that is more in line with current challenges related to economic considerations, sustainability, safety, and adaptability. In order to do so, Sodibet optimized the geometry of the concrete blocks while using concrete mix compositions based on universally available materials.