About Suspended Concrete Slab Construction
Suspended concrete slabs are becoming a more common feature in modern home design. Horizontal slabs of steel reinforced concrete, typically between 2-1/2 and 4 inches thick, are used to construct floors and ceilings not only in commercial high-rises, but also in high-end residential homes.
The attractiveness of this new option is primarily due to the thermal mass characteristics of concrete, which make it an excellent choice when energy-efficient radiant floor heating systems are engineered into the home. Suspended slab is the preferred floor system for homes fitted with geothermal heat.
In addition, suspended concrete floors offer increased longevity, less maintenance, can be given a wider assortment of finishes, and have superior sound damping properties, with STC ratings of up to 60 achievable.
Stack-It proudly offers two different slab systems, depending on your application.
Fortruss®: For a Superior Thermal Envelope
The thermal insulation properties, or R-value, of concrete can be significantly improved by adding insulating material below the slab. Basement slabs cast directly on the ground are known to drain heat from the room. This is fine for a cold-room, but for the rest of the home, it's a clear disadvantage. Wherever a concrete slab forms a part of a building's thermal envelope, it should be cast above a thick layer of insulating material such as expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam.
This principal applies to suspended concrete roofs, as well as garage and basement floors. For these applications, Stack-It offers the Fortruss® Performance Concrete Forming System.
Hambro®: For Superior Thermal Mass
Thermal mass is a measure of a body's ability to store heat and, consequentially, to resist temperature change. In your home, this applies to the ceilings, floors, and everything else within the thermal envelope.
Having a high thermal mass is a disadvantage in rooms that are used infrequently or require a quick thermal response (a rarely-used guest bedroom or a sauna, for example). That's because rooms with a high thermal mass take a long time to warm up or cool down, causing an increased delay in heating or cooling the room.
But for the rest of the home, the high thermal mass of concrete is a clear advantage. That's because it acts as a natural thermal regulator, resisting rapid temperature swings. Concrete slabs naturally keep your home cooler by day and warmer by night without any energy expenditure. When installed with a radiant in-floor heating system, conventional energy-consuming furnaces become virtually obsolete.
For interior suspended concrete slabs, especially in homes and light commercial structures using geothermal heat and/or radiant in-floor heating systems, Stack-It offers the Hambro® Suspended Concrete Floor System.