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I am in the process of designing a new home. I need space for a woodworking shop. I was considering a basement under the garage by using pre-cast concrete panels for the garage floor (called Spancrete around here). I would appreciate input on this from anyone who’s installed it or had it installed for them. Are there limits to the span, do you need extra steel support, how do you finish the floor in the garage, pour topcoat, etc. Any info on the additional costs would be apreciated also. Thanks in advance.
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John: I recently designed a house for a couple that wanted space under the garage. Spancrete is the right choice. I don't know your loading conditions, but in NY the minimum LL is 100 psf or a 2000 pound concentrated load for a garage floor. The floor will span 26 feet and the floor has a depth of 8" with no interior supports. Greater spans are possible with greater slab depth. This can be accomplished using prestressed slabs. Spancrete handles all the details from design, fabrication, delivery and installation. the cost in our area and for our situation was about 8 dollars per sq. foot. Don't try cast in place as quality control needed for this type of construction is non-existent on residential construction sites.
This type of construction may be faily new to residential situations, but has been around for years for commercial and heavy highway construction. spancrete panels are hollow to reduce deadload and prestressed to increase the span/depth ratio over normal reinfrced concrete. One thing though is that you cant go cutting holes in the slab wherever you want because you may cut some prestressed tendons. That would be very BAD.
Sorry if I'm rambling, good stuff.
*Dear JohnWhy don't you use corigaded steel and pour on top of it. I do that in factorys over small offices and they could store thing on top
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I am in the process of designing a new home. I need space for a woodworking shop. I was considering a basement under the garage by using pre-cast concrete panels for the garage floor (called Spancrete around here). I would appreciate input on this from anyone who's installed it or had it installed for them. Are there limits to the span, do you need extra steel support, how do you finish the floor in the garage, pour topcoat, etc. Any info on the additional costs would be apreciated also. Thanks in advance.