Summary

Legislation

Legislation and the Australian Standards in the construction industry ensures the quality of constructing buildings and ensures the safety of people. The following legislation is relevant to this module:

Building Act 2004 (and relevant state and territory instruments)
Building Regulations (relevant to each state/territory)
Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (and relevant state and territory instruments)
Work Health and Safety Regulations 2011 (and relevant state and territory instruments)
The Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (and relevant state and territory instruments)
The Environmental Planning and Assessment Regulations 1979 (and relevant state and territory instruments)
Other state and territory-based legislation and policies affecting buildings as described in NCC2019 (See Schedule 1)
Relevant local laws depending on local government area.

Uses of concrete

While concrete has a wide range of applications, in this unit we will focus on some of the more simple uses of concrete including slabs, concrete beams, concrete aprons, channels, post holes, pathways and garden edges. 

The ‘states’ of concrete

The state of the concrete means the stage that it is in the setting process. The three states are the plastic state, setting state and hardened state.  

Concreting process

The basic concreting process is:

• Step 1: Planning and preparation
• Step 2: Erecting the formwork 
• Step 3: Placing reinforcement (where required)
• Step 4: Placing the concrete
• Step 5: Stripping the formwork
• Step 6: Cleaning up
   

1. Download Concrete Basics: A Guide to Concrete Practice from https://www.ccaa.com.au/imis_prod/documents/ConcreteBasics.pdf 
2. To learn more about concrete slabs used for housing, go to:  https://www.abis.com.au/concrete-slab
3. If you would like a quick overview of the concreting process review this guide from Cement Australia. https://www.cementaustralia.com.au/diy/how-lay-concrete-slab
4. Watch the following video from Buildsum for a step-by-step guide to calculating the amount of formwork required for a more complicated path than in the last video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzpy7nQFueE&list=PLHFT_d-5EhN56tKMW2yfJOBhvqPaeGlwh&index=1
5. Watch the following video from Buildsum for a step-by-step guide to calculating the amount of reinforcement that you require for a more complex job: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5sIYxH41KM&list=PLHFT_d-5EhN56tKMW2yfJOBhvqPaeGlwh&index=3
6. Now watch the following video from Buildsum for a step-by-step guide to calculating how much concrete you will need for difficult shaped slabs. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zF87MsP4PY&t=2s
7. This video from Masters shows reinforcing mesh being used with plastic chairs. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W120OWUIeAs 
8. This video demonstrates techniques for tying rebar. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLoJLm8rqHw 
9. This video shows the process of joining (or lapping) mesh reinforcement. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vqkG2eQITE 
10. This is a quick video which demonstrates how to use wire ties to secure rebar. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmmXDXc3hAs 
11. The following website provides you with the facilities relevant for disposing of concrete waste https://apps.epa.nsw.gov.au/prpoeoapp/