Officer slab checks: cover, chairs and a barrier that reaches the ground
The pre-pour items that recur on Officer slabs and why each one matters.
In short: Officer slab findings are rarely dramatic, but they are permanent once concrete is placed.
Cover first
Steel needs a set depth of concrete around it. On Officer slabs we find edges where the steel sits too close to the formwork, which shortens its life.
Bar chairs
Chairs hold the mesh at the right height. Where they are missing or too far apart, the mesh drops and the cover goes with it.
The vapour barrier
The membrane under the slab has to run down the sides of the edge beams to ground. Stopping at the top leaves a path for moisture.
Small items, quick fixes
Uncapped pipes and loose mesh corners take minutes to sort before the pour and are impossible to fix after it.
Written by our local inspection team from work carried out in Officer. Licensed building practitioners, Building & Plumbing Commission registration CDB-U 53425.
