AS/NZS 4671 is the standard for the steel inside your slab. Concrete is strong in compression but weak in tension; the reinforcing steel is what carries the tension and holds the slab together as the ground moves.
What AS/NZS 4671 actually means
AS/NZS 4671 sets the requirements for reinforcing steel — the deformed bars and welded wire mesh used in concrete. It defines the grade, strength and properties of that steel, so the structural engineer can design a slab knowing exactly what the reinforcement will do.
Where it applies in your new home
The reinforcement in your slab and footings — the mesh in the slab and the bars ("trench mesh") in the edge beams — is made to AS/NZS 4671. The engineer's design specifies which reinforcement goes where; the standard defines what that reinforcement is.
What VG Inspect checks against it
At the pre-pour inspection, an inspector verifies the reinforcement against the engineered design: the correct bar and mesh sizes, correct spacing, and adequate concrete cover top and bottom. Reinforcement sitting on the ground with no cover, or mesh missing from an area, are common findings — and once the concrete is poured, none of it can be seen again.
What it does and doesn't cover
AS/NZS 4671 covers the reinforcing material. The concrete around it is covered by AS 3600, the slab design by AS 2870. Correct steel, correctly placed, in correctly specified concrete is what makes a durable slab.
A VG Inspect QBCC-licensed inspector (QBCC Licence 1318443) verifies your reinforcement at pre-pour, and reports the same day. Call 07 3180 8041 or book a pre-pour inspection online.