1.1 IntroductionIn the design and construction of slabs and footings, it is important to consider the durability of the finished product and to design means to ensure that the strength for which the slab is maintained was designed. Construction techniques and standards exist to ensure that all work is done to a specific level of quality to avoid having to repair previous mistakes. As with any business, time efficiency is of paramount importance and contractors can sometimes overlook crucial elements of design and supervision. Of course, after efficiency comes cost, which is usually a high priority. In theory, construction can be planned down to the smallest detail and problems can usually be eliminated before construction begins, which, however, is not the case in practice. On-site builders often have to improvise and take into account unknown elements without consulting the designers. Construction experience usually prevails and minor adjustments to the plan can be made with negligible consequences. However, this cannot be done in all circumstances and attempts often have costly results. 1.2 Theory To minimize the possibility of this type of error, builders must adhere to a strict code (AS2870) in which all aspects of construction are described and processes are detailed. If errors occur and, for whatever reason, the integrity of a structure is violated, the responsible builder must ensure that ...