When it comes to modern concrete construction, the demand for innovative and custom precast solutions has never been greater. So, as a response to the need, Tindall introduced a revolutionary solution: T-SLAB®, or the Tindall Superior Lightweight All-Purpose Beam. This patented precast floor slab system was meticulously designed to offer the high performance and versatility modern construction requires. While it undoubtedly meets the unmatched demands of even the most challenging concrete projects, the true brilliance of T-SLAB only becomes evident when you dig a little deeper.
In this blog, we explore the remarkable capabilities of T-SLAB, discover the boundless potential applications made achievable by it, and reveal how it can enable the realization of virtually any building design. Whether you’re an owner, builder, or architect, T-SLAB will bring your design aspirations, budget optimizations, and exceptional structure creations to life.
What Is T-SLAB®, and How Does It Work?
T-SLAB is a leap forward in precast concrete floor systems, seamlessly fusing the timeless principles of Roman arch design with multiple concrete types to deliver cutting-edge innovations in the form of a stronger, lighter, more versatile slab. It transcends the limitations of conventional site-constructed slabs that rely on time-consuming, labor-intensive processes and limited-availability ready-mix concrete designs. Instead, T-SLAB is produced in a quality-controlled plant environment and then delivered to the site for just-in-time installation. And because Tindall batches their own concrete, unique mix designs are available whenever they are required.
T-SLAB ingeniously integrates two distinct concrete types. Inside each slab is a series of lightweight, arch-shaped concrete blocks covered by reinforced crossing beams made from structural concrete. This innovative approach creates a more efficient slab that utilizes load-bearing concrete only where needed, significantly reducing its weight and making production, transportation, and installation more cost-effective. The result? A system capable of producing longer and wider slabs that far surpass the strength and weight efficiency of traditional alternatives. Embracing the core values of design flexibility, durability, and construction speed, T-SLAB represents a remarkable stride in precast concrete innovation.
Reasons to Use T-SLAB®
While the potential applications of T-SLAB are numerous, let’s highlight some of its unique strengths and key ways it can be customized to enhance virtually any project.
Long Clear Spans
The essence of T-SLAB’s brilliance lies in its adaptability. By utilizing high-strength, structural concrete only where essential, T-SLAB opens the door to significantly lighter and more versatile precast alternatives without compromising structural integrity.
T-SLAB leverages the arch effect for load distribution while capitalizing on longitudinal prestressing for total span capability. Multiple slab thicknesses enable T-SLAB to achieve optimal spans in the range of 30 to 45 feet, supporting both commercial and residential floor loads. With T-SLAB, it is also possible to make fixed-end connections over load-bearing walls and beams or in the end wall. This increases stability, improves vibration, and enables up to 50% longer spans compared to simple supported slabs of the same thickness. T-SLAB is cast in 12-foot widths, three times the width of competitive products. The larger slab width greatly reduces the number of units that are handled in the plant as well as on-site, and therefore, not only enables a cost-efficient production process but also reduces installation costs and schedules.
Non-Standard Geometry
Because T-SLAB is wet-cast in long-line prestressing forms, it allows for a high degree of design flexibility combined with the speed and cost efficiency of prefabrication. This means that T-SLAB’s geometry can be altered to produce options like special shapes, rounded ends, or sides that match a structure’s design and eliminate the need for site casting. It also means that items such as steel embeds for connections, safety rails, and bathroom drains can be readily cast within the slabs during production to save time in the overall construction schedule.
Large Openings for MEP and Other Equipment Needs
Yet another innovation of T-SLAB is the automated Light Aggregate Concrete (LAC) block machine that can leave out individual blocks where required. The machine is controlled by Building Information Modeling software (BIM), which feeds it with coded files from the relevant production plan, thus guiding the machine to omit the lightweight concrete blocks to create large openings for mechanical, electrical, and plumbing components or other types of equipment needs. Tindall can coordinate with the appropriate subcontractors ahead of time to ensure every T-SLAB serves the project’s unique needs. Electricians, plumbers, and mechanical contractors — these professionals need to be able to install vents, supply lines, floor drains, electrical conduits, and boxes, sometimes in non-standard configurations, so by creating voids for them or casting items within the slab, it allows them to do their job more easily. T-SLAB facilitates a more efficient and accurate method for completing the project once the structure is in place.
Customized Reinforcement
T-SLAB’s adaptability extends to reinforcement. This system allows for precise additional support where required. By replacing sections of lightweight concrete with zones of solid, structural concrete and additional reinforcement, T-SLAB can support concentrated loads or lead-through forces from load-carrying walls. Recesses for prefabricated bath units and large holes with added reinforcement are also possible during production without additional resource expenditure or time-consuming efforts, ensuring each project in which it is utilized remains time and cost-efficient.
In What Kinds of Projects Is T-SLAB® Useful?
One of the most remarkable benefits of T-SLAB lies in its seamless incorporation into virtually any building design. Whether it’s an apartment tower, a high school addition, or a set of university dormitories, T-SLAB’s ability to blend the strength of traditional concrete with the efficiency of precast in a flexible, adaptable package allows it to play a foundational role in virtually any project.
T-SLAB® Is Changing the Game. Contact Tindall Today!
With a legacy spanning over 60 years, Tindall has cemented its reputation as a dependable precast concrete manufacturer. But, through T-SLAB, Tindall has emerged as a trailblazer as well, epitomized by the robustness, lightweight design, and adaptability of T-SLAB. By shaping a future where efficiency is the goal and quality comes standard, Tindall is driving the concrete industry forward, one project at a time. Contact us today and discover the Tindall difference; let T-SLAB pave the way for your project’s success.
