Reinforced concrete
Reinforced concrete for villas in Geneva at a lower cost
Load-bearing walls, pillars, beams and lintels in reinforced concrete form the frame of the house. Each element is formed, reinforced and cast according to the engineer’s execution plans.
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MS Contractor SA builds the reinforced concrete structures of villas and detached houses in the canton of Geneva. These are load-bearing and basement walls, pillars, beams, lintels, stairs and slabs. Dimensions, reinforcement and concrete classes are those of the engineer’s plans. Reinforcement checks take place before each pour.
The structures concerned
In a detached house, reinforced concrete is used for load-bearing and buried walls, for pillars that take the loads of the slabs, for beams and lintels that span large openings, for stairs cast in place and for upper-floor slabs.
Contemporary projects with large picture windows often rest on a few highly loaded pillars and beams. Their reinforcement and casting require particular care.
Formwork, reinforcement, concreting
The formwork is set up plumb and propped. Its precision determines the look of the surfaces, especially when the concrete stays exposed. The reinforcement is shaped and tied according to the plans, with the spacers that ensure the planned cover.
The concrete is ordered in the required class, cast, vibrated and protected while it sets. Construction joints are placed where the engineer specifies.
Provisions and interfaces
Before each pour, the provisions for electricity, plumbing, ventilation and heating are checked on the installers’ plans and put in place. Planning every opening before casting keeps load-bearing walls intact.
Roof structure supports, window anchors and slab levels are checked so that the following trades find the expected tolerances.
How the package runs
The quote is drawn up on the execution plans. The schedule separates each level, with the basement walls, the slab over the basement, the ground-floor walls, the slab over the ground floor and so on. Each pour is preceded by a check by the engineer or the site management.
Setting times before striking and before loading are included. The package ends with striking, cleaning and recording the levels.
What the quote includes
Formwork by type of surface, reinforcement (quantities estimated on plans, adjusted to the engineer’s bar schedules), concrete by class and by structure, propping, standard provisions and cleaning. Options, for example high-quality exposed concrete, are priced separately.
Unless stated otherwise, the engineer’s plans and calculations, special precast elements, thermal insulation and waterproofing, installed by other companies, are not included.
On our worksites
Frequently asked questions
The questions we are asked before a worksite
Who provides the reinforcement plans?
The civil engineer appointed by the client. Their execution plans and bar schedules are the basis of our work. We do not produce structural calculations. We do, however, report any discrepancy noticed on the worksite.
Can the concrete be left exposed inside?
Yes, if the project provides for it. Exposed concrete requires careful formwork, a panel layout and even concreting. This execution is priced as a separate option in the quote.
How are large openings in the facade handled?
With reinforced concrete beams, lintels or frames sized by the engineer. We form and reinforce them with the starter bars needed for the joinery, then check levels and plumb when striking.
Do you work in winter?
Concreting in cold weather requires particular measures, namely a suitable concrete, protection and extended curing. The schedule takes the season into account and some phases can be postponed in agreement with the site management.
Your house
A villa project starts with a discussion of the plans.
Describe your project, the municipality and the stage of the studies. MS Contractor SA contacts you again to clarify the structural work packages to price.