Is mid panel reinforcement necessary in slab-on-ground construction?
Per the industry standards the answer is, “NO, with uniform support and a close joint spacing” (PCA, Concrete Floors on Ground, 2001). The industry’s move to a slightly more conservative joint spacing has greatly reduced the number of random cracks experienced in slabs-on-ground. Until a slab cracks the reinforcement sits dormant doing nothing but costing money. ACI states that “… the inclusion of reinforcement (even in large quantities) has very little effect upon the uncracked strength of the slab. The PCA, WRI and COE thickness design methods described in Chapter 6 may all be applied identically to the design of reinforced slabs-on-ground, by simply ignoring the presence of reinforcing.”(ACI 360). A ‘strategically reinforced’ slab design puts the steel where it is needed most in the joints. How did we get here? It seems so simple that properly designed and installed dowels and joint fillers work together to eliminate joint spalling, expensive remedial works and litigation between
