What is Waffle Slab?

 a structural component which is plain on its top and contains grid like system on
its bottom surface.
 top slab is thin and the bottom grid lines are generally ribs which are laid
perpendicular to each other with equal depth.
 has two directional reinforcement.

Characteristics of Waffle Slabs

 suitable for flat areas.

 Volume of concrete used is very less compared to others.
 The reinforcement is provided in the form of mesh
 Separate excavation for beams is not required
 The bottom surface of slab is looks like waffle which is obtained by using
cardboard panels or pods etc.
 The thickness is 85 to 100 mm while the overall depth of slab is limited to 300 to
600 mm.
 The width of beams or ribs provided are 110 to 200 mm.
 Spacing of ribs recommended is 600 to 1500 mm.
 Reinforced waffle slabs can be constructed for the span up to 16 meters while
beyond that length pre-fabricated waffle slab is preferable.
 good against shrinkage and it is lower than stiffened rafts and footing slabs.
 requires only 70% of concrete and 80 % of steel from the concrete and steel
used for stiffened raft.
Waffle Slab Construction Procedure
In-situ
slabs are constructed by pouring concrete in the site or field with proper arrangements.
Precast
slab panels are casted somewhere and they are joined together with proper
reinforcement and concrete is filled.
Pre-fabricated
reinforcement is provided in the slab panels while casting with some tension. Hence,
they do not need internal reinforcement in the site.
Formwork tools required in the construction of waffle slab are:
o Waffle pods o Cube junctions
o Horizontal supports o Hole plates
o Vertical supports o Clits
o Wall connectors o Steel bar

Waffle Slab Construction Procedure:

1. arranging the framework 4. Providing a horizontal connector
2. Fixing connectors 5. Placing the pods
3. Fixing the framework 6. Fixing pods to the connectors
 7. Removing framework 9. Removing pods
8. Removing connectors 10. Providing stacking
ADVANTAGES of Waffle Slab
o used for larger span slabs or floors
o used when there is limited requirement for number of columns.
o carrying capacity is greater than the other types of slabs.
o provide good structural stability along with aesthetic appearance.
o can be made of concrete, wood or steel
o It has good vibration control capacity
o lightweight and requires less amount of concrete
o Construction is easy and quick with good supervision.
o Concrete and steel volume required is small
o lighting, plumbing pipes, electrical wiring, air conditioning, insulation materials etc. can
be provided within the depth of waffle slab by providing holes in the waffle bottom surface. This
system is called as Holedeck.

DISADVANTAGES of Waffle Slab

o Formwork tools required are very costly because of large quantity requirement of pods
and some special tools.
o The floor height should be more hence number of floors are reduced.
o The services provided in the waffle arrangement without proper maintenance may
causes damages to the slab.
o Skilled workers are required during its construction.
o They are not suitable for sloped areas. If there is slope area, the area must be leveled
with filling or by excavating. For soil filling, good soil should be used.
o They are not suitable against high winds or cyclonic areas because of their light weight.