Reinforcement not released or sagged
The reinforcement decides the load-bearing capacity. If the release, support chairs or spacers are missing, the top layer loses its effect — this cannot be corrected later.
Floor slab before the pour: what you should document now
Reinforcement, conduits, ceiling boxes, cast-in parts, box-outs and starter bars are lying open on the formwork right now. After the pour, none of it is visible, and unlike a wall, a load-bearing slab leaves almost no room for corrections later. You do not have to judge any of it yourself — that is for the designers and site management. Your job is to completely document the state and insist on the scheduled checks before the first mixer arrives.
What can no longer be checked after the slab is poured
Conduits and ceiling boxes in the wrong place
A ceiling box stays exactly where it was cast in. If the light moves two metres later, all that is left is surface wiring or chasing into a load-bearing element.
Missing or displaced box-outs
Any opening missing now has to be cut or drilled into a finished slab later — requiring a query to the structural engineer.
Forgotten starter bars and cast-in parts
Starter bars for walls above, thermal break elements at balconies or anchor channels must be in place now. Afterwards, all that is left is drilling, cutting or expensive workarounds.
Formwork, levels and slab thickness incorrect
Deviations in slab thickness and bearing depth are invisible in the finished concrete. If the formwork is also leaking or unstable, massive problems threaten during the pour.
What you should document and request before the pour
Insist on the scheduled sign-offs
Have the site management confirm that reinforcement, cast-in parts and box-outs are released. You must clarify open points before the first mixer arrives.
Photograph the open reinforcement systematically
Photograph overviews from several directions first, then the details: top and bottom layers, extra bars over supports, as well as corners and connections. Also capture the support chairs carrying the top layer.
Document installations, openings and cast-in parts
Measure two right-angled distances to fixed wall edges for every box. Label photos immediately with purpose and diameter. Also document the stairwell, shafts and cast-in parts with reference to the drawings.
Have formwork, levels and slab thickness checked
Have the top level, slab thickness and bearing depths checked by the site management against the execution drawings. Photograph the condition of the formwork before the concrete is poured.
Secure pouring documents and drawings
Put the current formwork and reinforcement drawing, the box-out drawings and the structural engineer's releases in your building file. After the pour, also secure delivery notes, concrete specification and the weather on the day of the pour.
Clarify before the concrete arrives
Upload overview, detail and measurement photos. We will show you which visible points you should clarify with the site management before the pour.