This paper provides a discussion and summary of the performance of Wafflemat ® slabs on grade. The discussion contained herein is based upon studies performed by the geotechnical firm of Purcell, Rhoades & Associates (ref. 1), as well as observations of the performance of installed Wafflemat foundations (Appendices A-D) over a twenty-year period. Post-tensioned, slab-on-grade construction and mild reinforced mats have been used for decades to provide adequate support for residential and light commercial construction.
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A Climate Change Gas Emissions Analysis on the Production, Transportation, and Use of Concrete in Slab Foundations. “Use of the Wafflemat foundation-forming system in residential home construction can reduce the level of climate change emissions by 20% [the equivalent of 4 to 9 tons less CO2 released into the atmosphere of an average 1,800 sf home] when compared to the use of conventional slab foundations. Other emissions reductions are also projected.”
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If a project is planned from the beginning to use a Wafflemat foundation, site development is no more complicated than with any other type of foundation. In fact, because a Wafflemat foundation sits higher above the graded pad height than either ribbed or uniform-thickness slabs, street and curb heights can be elevated an additional 6 to 8 inches. This results in significantly reduced costs for excavation and off-haul of soil. Since less dirt work is required, the cycle time or site development can also be reduced, resulting in additional cost savings.
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A non-expansive soil cap on top of expansive soil may not always stop expansion of the underlying expansive soil, or the resulting damaging effects of on the foundations and structures built on top of the soil cap. However, if the foundations built on top of the soil cap are designed to be rigid enough to withstand differential vertical movements between the perimeter walls and the interior floors, the problem will not be structural. The problem may be higher cost.
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A recent whitepaper, “Lowering the Carbon Footprint When Using the Wafflemat System for Concrete Slab Foundations,” provided analysis on the production, transportation, and use of concrete in residential slab foundations, and concludes that the use of Wafflemat in residential home construction can reduce the level of climate change gas emissions by 20%. This is equivalent of 4 to 9 tons less CO2 released into the atmosphere per home, when compared to conventional slab foundations.
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