Effectiveness of foundation concrete slabs in preventing termite attack on wooden roof trusses

摘要

This article examines the effectiveness of foundation concrete slabs in preventing termite attack on wooden roof trusses. Twenty residential bungalow buildings, constructed with hollow sandcrete blocks, were investigated for a period of 5 years. The buildings were grouped into four. The first group belongs to buildings without foundation concrete slabs; the second group is buildings with foundation concrete slab constructed from bush gravel. The third group of buildings has their foundation slabs constructed with crushed granite, manually mixed, while the fourth group belongs to buildings with foundation concrete slab constructed from crushed granite but mechanically mixed. It was discovered that the fourth group of buildings had 100 per cent proof against termite penetration, the third group of buildings had high resistance to termite penetration, but not 100 per cent, while the second group of buildings had limited resistance to termite penetration, and the first group of buildings had no resistance against termite penetration.