Concrete Driveway

[fishhuntwork]

I'm thinking about installing a concrete driveway this spring for the boat. How thick should I pour it and how much is a cubic yard of concrete going for these days? Ant help would be great, I will be using this driveway in the winter for my truck also.

[GSB Ice Man]

You should pour a minimum of 4" depth. Make sure you have a good base below your slab, use reinforcement, and install control joints. Depending on your exact location, concrete prices will vary. I would also suggest sealing your driveway.

[BottomPounder]

A good and packed class 5 gravel base,rebar 2 feet on center,4"of concrete,cut control joints so you have no square bigger than 10'by10'.Chair the rebar up so its in the bottom 1/3 of concrete but not on the ground. GOOD LUCK!

[Redlantern]

Is rebar still neccesary if it's fiberglass reinforced concrete? Probably can't hurt but I'm just wondering.

[boatfixer]

Yes it is neccesary (here goes the debate). Fiber mesh will help with shrinkage cracking only. Rebar will hold it together should stress cracking occur. Ya ya I know its been done a thousand times....

[fishhuntwork]

Is it necessary to pin the new crete to the old? It will be running along my garage footings too, do I pin there also?

[Redlantern]

I'm not looking for a debate, just asking.

[Shack]

Yes RL, I would use rebar on any exterior concrete and I would at least drill some tapcons into the existing concrete and tie off the ends of the rebar to them with wire. If possible I would sink some rebar short pieces into the existing concrete and tie off to them. Depending on the base & grade of the slab, you can do either 2' square or 4' square on the rebar. The best base I have found is to use the existing un-disturbed soil (if not clay). Clay is another whole story. I have found if people carve out (want to) good soil just to have a class base, no matter how good you tamp it or water it, it will settle after the fact. In a project I was involved in a couple years back where rotten, stagnant, wet almost 100% clay was removed and replaced with a class 5 base, we let it settle for that fall until the following spring just to be sure. It did need some touching up as a result. This was an extreme case where we had to dig down till we found solid rock and build up about 6', tamping it every foot that class 5 was added. Long story.

Your standard forms are going to be 3.5" high and IMO is plenty enough for residential use. Anything more IMO you are just spending money not needed. Yes, you want to trowl or saw cuts every 10' squared to allow the crack to run and IMO once the brush finish is done and the slab has setup, seal it then. This will be the cleanest the slab will ever be and it gets done.

Good luck!

[Redlantern]

Maybe the difference is exterior concrete? The reason I asked was that I've seen a lot of work done with fiberglass but it was all interior. I'm no mason, I'm a plumber. Just curious about how things go together. Thanks for your reply.

[Shack]

I guess I feel rebar is just a nice added touch that is just good measure with any concrete pour. IMO why skimp on a $100 worth of rebar on $3000-$5000 project? Fibercrete additive/mix was kind of luxury when a friend of mine and I ran a crew. It was expensive at the time and good concrete work IMO had been done for centuries with out it. I have not poured anything since 2008 and maybe fiber is standard now in the mix charge or not much more of a cost anymore. Personally, I would take the extra money used for fiber and apply it to a granite mix. A granite mix concrete IMO is perfect for exterior MN concrete.

[boatfixer]

Excellent advice Shack. I drive for a Redi-mix company and I can tell you first hand that bar is recomended not only by us but by our fiber suppliers as well. Some of you may have seen municipal or "govt" concrete, curbs sidewalks etc, installed without bar but that is not the same mud as residential redi-mix. It contains more cemetious material and is held to a much higher standard. It also costs much more than Joe Homeowner cares to pay.

Just clarify something though, RL, are you talking about interior floors? such as over Wirsbo or something simalar? Be cause I would suggest rebar in an interior garage floor as well.

[Redlantern]

Boatfixer, I was just curious. Now when I work on commercial buildings, I see the flatworkers are putting down mesh and not rebar. There is some rebar on top of footings but not throughout the whole building. I do see them using rebar and diamonds when they have to do the floors in a couple pours where they join the two.

On the houses I've worked on I've never seen them put rebar in the garages. Sometimes not even mesh. Now I haven't worked on a house for a few years so maybe things have changed. I asked one of the flatworkers about it and he said the fiberglass does the same thing. That's why I was wondering.

[boatfixer]

Mesh is ok, not as strong as rebar, but definitly better than nothing. What I'm impressed with is, is that you are cognizant and aware of different techniques and practices and that will only make you more informed should you have some building or work done or maybe tackle a job yourself and will get the job done right. One must be well informed these days. Asking is a good thing and I may have plumbing questions for you in the future.

[Northwoodguy]

Wire mess sucks it does help with the strength but hard to work with it gets stepped on bent up out of the concrete and pushed into the sand were it dose no good. Once the concrete cracks water and salt don't take long to eat throw then your left with nothing. Go with rebar I rip out a lot of concrete I love to remove it when it has wire mess in it. Rebar take 20+ years to waste a way and when you’re spending that kind of money what’s a couple hundred more..