For welded wire reinforcement, the Wire Reinforcement Institute recommends steel placement 2 inches below the surface or within the upper third of the slab thickness, whichever is closer to the ...
ACI 117-10(15) specifies a ± ¼ in. tolerance for slabs with thicknesses of 4 in. or less, and a ± 3/8 in. placement tolerance for slab thicknesses between 4 and 12 in. Thus the placement ...