Does anyone have any experience with radiant floor heating installed in a post tension cable slab? Seems like it would be difficult to manage all the tubing and heavy post tension cables.
I’m in the planning stages of building a house in the Dallas Texas area and I’d love to have radiant floor heat, but it’s almost unheard of here. Due to the clay soil in this area, post tension slabs are a must to avoid foundation shifting.
Any and all advice would be appreciated.
Replies
>> Seems like it would be difficult to manage all the tubing and heavy post tension cables.
Only if you try to keep the slab the same thickness. If you add a couple inches, then the reinforcment can be in one plane with the tubing lying on top of it, and little or no interaction between the two.
>> ... post tension slabs are a must to avoid foundation shifting.
I disagree. Post-tensioning may be the cheapest way to get the required foundation performance, but there are alternatives. One is to add more concrete and rebar. At some point you get a slab that is just as stiff as a post-tensioned slab.