Slab inspection in Strathtulloh

Stage2 of 7

When to bookOnce steel, pods and membrane are complete, the day before concrete

Time on siteAbout 1 hour on site

Inspected againstAS 2870, AS 3600, NCC Part 3.2, the engineer's slab design and the soil report

What is included in a Strathtulloh slab pre-pour inspection

Slab class and layout checked against the engineer's design and the soil report
Edge beam and internal beam depths and widths
Reinforcement size, spacing, laps and trench mesh
Bar chairs, cover and support so steel does not sit on the ground
Waffle pods, void formers and pod spacing
Vapour barrier coverage, laps and tape at penetrations
Plumbing and electrical penetrations and sleeves
Set-downs for wet areas, garage, porch and alfresco
Termite management components installed before the pour
Formwork alignment, level and set-out against the plans
Stormwater pipe cover and pit positions where visible
Site cut, fill and pier holes where visible
Hot water service and meter box slab extensions formed
Trench cleanliness and debris before the pour

Why it matters here

Slab pre-pour inspections on Strathtulloh builds

Strathtulloh slabs sit on basalt plains clay that swells when wet and shrinks when dry. A slab built to its engineering copes with that; one with pinched beams, sagging mesh or a holed membrane is weaker exactly where the ground pushes hardest.

What we find at this stage in Strathtulloh

Pods shifted so internal beams are narrower than designed
Mesh resting low because bar chairs are missing
Holes in the vapour barrier left without a patch
Membrane stopping short of the beam base
Pipes through the membrane with no sleeve or tape
Steel touching pipes where a gap is required

Mesh touching service pipes where a 25mm gap is needed, Strathtulloh — Mesh touching service pipes where a 25mm gap is needed

Beam stem narrower than the 250mm minimum on the engineering, Strathtulloh — Beam stem narrower than the 250mm minimum on the engineering

Beam narrowing where pods shifted and no spacers were placed, Strathtulloh — Beam narrowing where pods shifted and no spacers were placed

Sample findings

Sample defects found during our slab pre-pour inspections in Strathtulloh

Annotated findings from Slab pre-pour inspections.

Holes in the vapour barrier left without a polyethylene patch and tape, found during a slab pre-pour inspection in Strathtulloh — Holes in the vapour barrier left without a polyethylene patch and tape

A waffle pod squeezing an internal beam to 30mm where 110mm was designed, found during a slab pre-pour inspection in Strathtulloh — A waffle pod squeezing an internal beam to 30mm where 110mm was designed

Vapour barrier stopping short of the beam base instead of running to ground, found during a slab pre-pour inspection in Strathtulloh — Vapour barrier stopping short of the beam base instead of running to ground

Plumbing pipe passing through the membrane with no sleeve or tape seal, found during a slab pre-pour inspection in Strathtulloh — Plumbing pipe passing through the membrane with no sleeve or tape seal

The other stages of a Strathtulloh build

All construction stage inspections in Strathtulloh →

Guides

Construction stage guides for Strathtulloh

9 February 2026 · 4 min read

Planning your stage inspections on an Atherstone build

How to line up slab, frame, lock-up, waterproofing, fixing and PCI inspections on a new Strathtulloh home without missing a window.

23 February 2026 · 4 min read

Holes, laps and pipes: vapour barrier faults on Strathtulloh slabs

The vapour barrier under a slab is invisible for the life of the house. These are the membrane faults we find before Strathtulloh pours.

9 March 2026 · 4 min read

Where the weight goes: frame load path faults in Strathtulloh homes

Trusses on the wrong wall, missing bracing rods and plates hanging off the slab. Why frame stage is about following the load to the ground.

All guides →

FAQ

Slab pre-pour inspections in Strathtulloh: common questions

What does a slab inspection cover?

Beam and stem widths, steel size and position, bar chairs and cover, the vapour barrier and its taping, set-downs, and the clearance between steel and service pipes.

Why do beam widths matter?

The engineer sized each beam for your soil. A pod that slides sideways can cut a 110mm beam down to a fraction of that, and the concrete simply fills the smaller space.

Can the builder fix things before the pour?

Nearly always. Moving pods, adding chairs and taping the membrane are quick jobs when they are pointed out early.

Which standard covers slabs?

AS 2870 for residential slabs and footings, the Housing Provisions for the vapour barrier, and the engineering drawings for your lot.

Do you need the engineering drawings?

Yes. Beam sizes, steel and set-downs are all specific to your design and can only be checked against it.

How long does it take?

About an hour to an hour and a half for a typical single storey slab.