Advantages and Disadvantages of Podium Slab

The slab is a very common component in the making of modern buildings. Many types of slabs are used in construction and every slab has a different purpose. The podium slab is one of the other slabs. These types of slabs are mostly used for steel or wooden multi-story building and car parking areas.

A typical concrete slab is generally made by using a basement filled with soil. It helps to transfer the loads and to avoid settlement. Users also construct walls in substructures for the walls to give firmness to the floor. These types of slabs spread the load to the wall from the steel or wood-based structure and it doesn?t need any type of basement filled material. The superstructure elements are not prolonged to the substructure beneath. So customers get more and more space to park vehicles.

The height of the floor is generally low compared to other regular slabs. The multilevel car parking facility can be completed by using the podium slab technique for both commercial & residential buildings.

Types of Podium Slab

1. Precast Podium Slab
2. Post-tensioning Podium Slab

Precast Podium Slab

This prefabricated method is very easy. This technology also takes very little time. After a specific time, this element is cast at a particular place. The flexibility and strength of the element are very good.

Post-tensioning Podium Slab

This type of slabs carries more load compared to the other podium slabs. By using this method users can complete a huge area.

Feature of Podium slabs

1. The podium slab generally constructed in either a beam system. The Beam system affects the laying path of the plumbing line and drainage system.

2. The vertical load is a combination of the vertical force from the superstructure and the horizontal lateral forces of the superstructure.

3. The concrete podium structures and superstructures are completely different.

4. The concrete podium structure is very stiff that the superstructure unit and the concrete podium box unit behave in two separate parts. Because of that, the vertical combination of the lateral forces is not a good choice for engineers.

5. The parking levels are constructed below the concrete podium slab.

Advantages of Podium Slab

1. There will no crack showed.

2. This type of slabs provides a larger parking space.

3. This type of slabs is able to sustain a heavy load.

4. A deep foundation is not required in this construction.

5. The surface of the slab becomes very smooth if users apply this technology.

6. It can be carried against the seismic load.

7. The strength & durability of the slab is excellent.

8. This type of slab is able to control sound pollution inside the structure.

9. In any type of fire accident, the fire spreading can be avoided in this method.

10. The construction cost is very affordable compared to others.

Disadvantages of Podium Slab

1. The height of the floor is less compared to other types of slabs.

2. Excellent skilled manpower is required to apply the slabs in construction.

3. The precast concrete elements should be kept very carefully. Otherwise, the shape of the slab will change from its original position.

4. The post-tensioning method should be done by excellent skilled laborers to avoid accidents & wastage.

Wrap up

In this article, we discussed general information of slabs, types of Podium Slabs, precast podium Slabs, Post-tensioning Podium Slabs, features of podium slabs, Advantages and disadvantages of Podium slabs.

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Advantages and Disadvantages of Podium Slab