I am about to pour a 4 inch thick, 20 ft by 30 ft cement floor slab. I am located in the Philippines. This will be on clay type soil.
I am wondering about reinforcement. I was thinking of digging
6 inch wide by 4 inch deep "trenches" spaced 10 feet apart, in the ground before pouring the slab to create a "backbone" that would hopefully strengthen the slab. This would effectively create a "beam" under the slab. The trenches would be in a tic-tac-toe configuration. If you look at the website below, I would keep the "trenches" in line with the concrete posts.
Would this help? Or would this cause problems?
I do not have access to reinforcing wire mesh, and they have indicated to me that rebar is not needed. I would like to reinforce the slab.
Any recommendations.
I have a website that shows the progress of the house being built:
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Building a house in the Philippines is an experience you will never forget. There are many practices that would cause you to shudder.