Paving | Pavement | Slab | Foundation | Footers | Flatwork

Cement or concrete "paving" is an example of the overlapping meanings in the concrete construction trade, for many people use the activity of "concrete paving" and the building material "pavers" interchangeably; thus, both terms are cited here. ACCG, Inc. is your local, reliable paving contractor!

Accordingly, concrete pavement (sometimes called "rigid pavement") is a base layer of concrete making direct contact with vehicle or foot traffic; and utilized and modified for various purposes and applications, as necessary.

Concrete paving goes by other general names; such as "laying" or "layer" or "flatwork" to describe the activity of pavement construction. These are overarching, umbrella terms under which the below terms fall in getting progressively more specific as to concrete type or activity.

Indeed, flatwork is any poured surface that moves along a horizontal plane -- including porches, sidewalks, foundations, driveways and any other of a variety of flat surfaces. Cement/concrete is the preferred material for paving/laying/flatwork since it can successfully be formed into a flat and level surface. 

Accordingly, a concrete slab is a key part of concrete construction and one type of flatwork; since concrete slabs -- in cases of structures built atop them -- form the concrete base foundation upon which buildings like houses, garages, sheds, offices, etc. are constructed. As a durable and stable structural element formed out of of concrete, the slab's purpose is to be a flat, horizontal surface (thus "flatwork") -- including concrete flooring or concrete patio upon which a swimming pool screen enclosure can sit safely. Concrete slab is usually several inches thick and supported by beams, columns, walls or the ground itself.

 As a structural component, a concrete slab is usually of constant thickness and comprises a floor or a roof, for example. A slab-on-grade (or grade slab) is supported on the subsoil and is typically reinforced with reinforcing bars (like rebar) or welded wire mesh. In heavy industrial buildings, grade slabs may be rather thick and reinforced with top and bottom layers. In residential or light commercial buildings, grade slabs are usually four inches thick with nominal reinforcement.

A suspended slab (or structural slab) spans between supports, and must be reinforced to resist bending moments -- calculated based upon magnitude of load and span. There are one-way slabs, two-way slabs, waffle slabs, flat plates, flat slabs and other types.

A floor is the surface upon which pedestrians walk; and it can be a concrete slab, wood deck or steel grating. Note that only a floor slab is a structural element.

Another related and common term is "concrete pad," sometimes used with mechanical items such as pumps. For example, in the mechanical room of a building, the floor may be a concrete grade slab, but the mechanical engineer wants pumps raised an extra four inches above the floor; thus, a concrete pad is installed under the pump for elevation. Such a scenario is similar to footing, except that a pad is poured on top of an existing slab and may be connected using steel dowels.

 Furthermore, a raft foundation or mat foundation is a large, continuous rectangular or circular concrete slab that carries a superstructure's entire load; spreading the massive weight over the whole area underneath the building. Considered as one type of shallow foundation, it's useful in controlling the differential settlement.
Accordingly, a mat foundation spreads out under the footprint of the building and lessens contact pressure relative to conventional strip or trench footing; being a suitable solution for the following situations: low bearing capacity soil, spread footing covering about 70% of the structure, high structure loads, soft pockets or cavities in the soil, highly compressible soil that extends to a great depth, and the like.

Indeed, mat foundation is employed for construction of commercial buildings -- especially since loads are typically large, are popular in geographics where basements are common (not necessarily applicable to Florida, then), as well as in mining areas where a soil layer may suffer movements.

Related terms are "slab on grade" or "cast concrete" or "on-site cast concrete" or "in situ concrete slab" or "cast in place concrete;" and such concrete construction projects are complex processes requiring expert installation that top building contactor Longwood-based concrete company ACCG, Inc. accomplishes. Click here to read our blog to link to a nice overview of concrete slab definition via Civil Engineering online. Serving the Orlando area and all of central Florida since 2005.

Continuing on, concrete footers and concrete foundations are to homes and other buildings what feet and legs are to the human body: Concrete footings anchor a building to the ground and support the foundation that, in turn, carries the weight of a structure. Footings are a vital aspect of foundation construction, usually comprised of concrete with rebar reinforcement that has been poured into an excavated trench. Concrete footers' purpose is to support the foundation and prevent settling that can cause havoc on concrete construction. Concrete footers are particularly important in locales with problematic soil composition. 

Our cement experts and concrete experts at ACCG have the full capability to assess soil conditions and determine the proper depth, width and placement for concrete footers; cognizant that footings' dimensions depend upon the size and type of structure to be built. Therefore, the positioning of concrete footings is crucial to provide the proper support for the foundation and, ultimately, the entire building or structure.

As experienced concrete professionals in concrete footers installation and concrete slab foundations, we know that if the foundation isn't cement-poured correctly and then fails to set properly, then an entire building is compromised. Rest easy knowing that our vast concrete construction experience gives us the ability to manage both the expected and unexpected in these finer points of the concrete construction trade. We serve Spanish-speaking customers, too; and offer special pricing discounts for the military, first responders and senior clients.

Concrete footings and concrete slab foundation are key elements of new home construction. As one of the early steps of building a new house residence, a foundation is made of poured concrete that's reinforced with steel rods (rebar). No matter the type of pavement and concrete paving foundation poured, it'll be sprayed and treated with a waterproofing material and inspected by the local permitting authorities prior to framing, etc.

Longwood-based concrete contractor ACCG, Inc. has proudly subcontracted for home builders in the Orlando area and central Florida service area; pouring footers, slab foundations, driveways, sidewalks, porches, patios, interior and exterior walls, retaining walls, etc. to help clients' achieve their dream home! And don't forget that ACCG does boat ramps and pool tile and pool decks, for example, too!

Want to estimate how much concrete will be needed? Then click here to go to the concrete calculator.

Orlando, FL-area concrete contractor ACCG is your locally owned and operated concrete paving contractor and concrete slab foundation expert! Our service area is home-base Longwood and all of central FL.

Concrete footers may also be required for a host of other projects -- including pool decks, pergolas complementing decorative concrete, retaining walls or other types of cement and concrete construction.

• PAVEMENT-RELATED DEFINITIONS:
  Aggregate is material made from crushed stone, sand and gravel; used as a concrete base.
  
• Base is the materials installed after the subgrade but before the poured concrete for a paved area; and can be crushed stone, sand or gravel.
  
• Base Failure is when base material can no longer support the weight from a building, vehicle, etc.; and they resemble holes in pavement.
  
• Compaction is when a piece of equipment is utilized to further compact soil, sand or another base material.
  
• Concrete is a mixed liquid material made from gravel, sand, water and cement that, upon being poured correctly, dries to solid and durable stone.
  
• Course, in concrete construction-speak, is a row of pavers.
  
• Emulsion is act of combining ingredients that wouldn’t typically be combined.
  
• Filler is a material dispersed into cracks to fill -- but not necessarily seal -- the imperfections.
  
• Frost Heave is when water gets in between and underneath pavers and then freezes; expanding and thus resulting in pavers lifting upwards.
  
• Joint Sand Stabilizer is a liquid added to joint sand that provides stabilization to prevent water seepage, loosening of materials and weed or moss growth.
  
• Patching is the process of removing old and damaged pavement, and then installing a new replacement section of pavement.
  
• Pavers are formed, individual pieces of flooring that are available in a cornucopia of shapes, sizes and materials (such as concrete, brick, rubber, stone, etc.).
  
• Paver Splitter is a type of industrial equipment that breaks up old, unsightly and unsafe pavement; and can be hand-operated, machine-operated and/or hydraulically assisted.
  
• Primer is a coating utilized for subgrade sealing and base materials sealing, as well as for enhancing the binding of pavement to the base.
  
• Screeding is the leveling of the sand bedding via wood or metal tools.
  
• Sealant is a liquid material that coats pavement in order to protect it and enhance its natural color.
  
• Sealcoat is the act of applying the sealant to pavement, a step in the finishing process.
  
• Subgrade is prepared soil utilized to support a new area of pavement. 

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