# Forum Home Renovation Concreting  Supporting filling under raised concrete slab

## Oldneweng

I have a house built in the early 1950's of stringybark frame on redgum stumps. A large percentage of the perimeter is surrounded by a verandah/carport/games room/verandah/office on a raised concrete slab. When the slab was laid, all they did was nail cement sheet to the boards attached to the outer stumps to keep wildlife out, a brick wall was built at the outer line of the slab, the space was filled with sandy soil, a form fitted to the brick wall and concrete poured. The slab has cracked and moved quite a bit in places. I am trying to think of a way to hold the filling in next to the house without adding access routes to termites. The existing boards have deteriorated in places and not much is holding the cement sheet. The front porch is the worst. The boards are totally rotten due to rain blowing in over many years. There was no actual verandah roof here until I put one up a few years ago. Termites have attacked some of the bearers and joists in the porch due to the poor building method when this was added/replaced at some time. Termite caps were either totally forgotten or supports nailed to stumps without extending the caps. So termites are a problem, although they do find the hard timber difficult to chew. 
If I replace the concrete it will be done in sections as time and money allow. In total it is 160m2 although not all of it is affected. What would be involved in making a suspended slab to avoid the problem? Any comments or suggestions will be welcome.

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