Oh man...that looks terrible! i am NOT a concrete expert, but I do know that the rebar should not be showing and there should not be that cottage cheeese look to it. It was not properly poured. I'm sorry...what a nightmare!

I'm no expert either, but to me it looks like the concrete was too thick when they poured it and they didn't work it into all the cracks/crevices properly. For what it's worth, I think concrete that is too thick is way better than concrete that is watered down, so this may not be that big of a deal. But I'll let the experts determine that. Just trying to help you save your sanity until someone else chimes in. :)

They have to fix the places where the rebar is showing.
It can be just patched.
I admit it does not look good but after patching it will function just fine.
Boggie

Thanks for the comments. Apparently this can be fixed, but it sure is UGLY!! I can't stand looking at the pictures. I hope the patching does not hurt the integrity of the slab in the long run.

In our area they refer to that as "rat's mouth". I'd have an engineer look at it. That is unacceptable. They may have used old concrete.

It appears that the concrete wasn't vibrated enough to work it into all the crack/crevices. Rebar showing is not good, however it can be patched as long as your in an area that doesn't see freezing. Water will seep into the cracks between the original pour and the patch and as it freezes will expand and "pop" out the patch. Good luck in whatever you decide. It's hard to hit a rough spot so early in a build.

Looks like the concrete was too dry and it was not compacted into the forms well enough. Poor pour. They can patch it, but it won't be as strong as if it were poured correctly. I would be ticked off if I were you.

I AM ticked off, but I'm trying to just go with the flow. There is no way to pour it again so I guess it will have to be patched. The concrete finisher is coming tomorrow afternoon to try to fix it. My builder said he sees this regularly, but maybe not this many places. He said it may have been because the footings were so wide and deep, which will be good for the whole slab not falling completely apart. My builder will reform some of the places to make sure the concrete molds corectly. I will post some pictures of the patched places when it is done. Maybe it will look normal... who knows??

This looks completely unprofessional. As to the structural soundness, who knows? Patching it is only as good as the crew doing the repair work, and if it is the same crew that did the pour, I'd be very leery. I question the statement by your builder that he sees this regularly. I question whether it is the fact that he sees shoddy workmanship like this regularly and continues to use the same concrete crew, or if this has happened with multiple crews. Either way, I'd document it completely (the pictures help!), and I'd probably get it checked out by someone independent and looking out for your interests (read: not your GC or someone recommended by him.). Good luck!

Yes, get your own competent expert who has no vested interest in protecting your builder or any builder, to assess this work. Patching may not really fix it but just make it "look" good long enough for the builder to have all the leverage if you later dispute it. Resist the urge to just go along to get along. This is your house, and if it's got serious problems those problems will revisit you again. Don't assume you have any leverage once the builder has your money, and don't let him con you into saying his warranty will cover it later. Check your contracts for an arbitration clause, because if it's there, you cannot sue, and may be forced to 'resolve' any disputes privately with an arbitrator the builders do repeat business with. I hate to see these problems starting out and only hope it turns out to be fixable. Going through a legal hassle with a builder is always a pain, but it sure doesn't get better by pretending it isn't happening.

It appears to me there was no vibration--hence all the voids and rat tails.

If this were my project, I'd get my engineer's opinion on the way to do a proper repair. Or a repour, if the entire foundation looks like the corner in the photos.

Not that this helps the OP but for people who aren't at the stage of pouring yet, take heed: have your engineer/expert ON SITE DURING THE POUR. The problems with the foundation on the house we bought were already done and covered up before we ever saw the house, a builder's spec model. We found out after closing, and spent the next 5 years in a construction defect case that nearly ruined us. In the end we came out ok but we went thru many hassles and expenses and it took over our lives during that time. We couldn't fully use our house. It was very frustrating. Had someone who was competent and who cared been there when it was built, mistakes couldv'e been prevented. Our builder didn't know or didn't care how to do it right. He just covered up the defects so it all appeared fine. You are at a point where you haven't turned over all your money yet, and you now know about a potential big mistake. You could still have enough leverage to get this corrected even if it means firing him and starting over.

PLEASE consider what Susiesnowflake has posted here about her case. Hers was different than mine, but the bottom line is you don't close on a defective house and you don't just hope it will all be ok by ignoring problems. It will not be ok if you close and later find out it's serious. Then, you will have little or no ability to remedy the situation. Believe me, the builders have the upper hand when it comes to holding them accountable. And, they know it.

That said, Good luck!

Here is a link that might be useful: HADD

Just to let you know, they patched the holes, and it looks pretty good. On to the next issue...

Judging by your pictures, this is a concern.As worthy stated,no vibration method was used and mechanical vibrating is not typical on flat pour footing slabs, but it is extremely important to work the concrete down into the footings, which in your case wasn't in the voided areas. Simply patching over is an unacceptable fix because you will still have the voids behind the patch "attempt".

Keep in mind that those are structural issues involving loads carried from the house onto the footings and the compacted soils beneath.If it's not too late, i would get the advise of a structural engineer as they are experienced with compactions, loads of soils, base, concrete,etc.
The life span of the concrete in the voided areas are severely reduced when the concrete isn't compacted properly leading it to fail prematurely.It's one thing if it was a sidewalk as it would only be a cosmetic concern,(plus a safety concern), but i feel you have a structural issue here that could lead to settling problems in the future leading to cracks in your walls on up to ceilings and roof lines.

I dont feel they are severe enough to cause total failure of a corner or side of the house, but do feel the settling will be a major thorn as you battle constant cracking.I could be wrong and it could be way more serious than what is shown by the pic's so best to get the advise of a professional engineer on this as it's better to be safe than sorry, and what price can you put on safety concerns.

Out of sight, out of mind for the builder.

It may not be as bad as the images look, but getting a professional opinion is the best way to regain peace of mind!

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Another air-dried slab. Not a bad option if there is enough rain to keep the slab wet or you aren't in an extremely hot area. If it's hot where you are and you aren't getting rain, the slab will cure too quickly, but that is another issue. (It's done all the time, and most of the time it won't cause problems, but it's not the right way to do it!)

As long as there aren't too many of these voids in areas that can't be seen, there probably won't be too many issues, at least for a while. It looks like you live in an area with a lot of clay. If you have extended droughts you will have settling, and the voids could exacerbate settling cracks. There's almost no way to know this for sure without simply waiting to see if it happens.

Testing the plasticity of the soil of a potential home site (prior to construction) should be mandatory so that a proper foundation can be put in place. A one-size-fits-all solution, the way it's done 99% of the time, is simply an antiquated, crappy way to do things.

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