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Re: concrete driveway: thickness ; mesh or not ?

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Re: concrete driveway: thickness ; mesh or not ? Joe 05-01-2007
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Posted by Joe on May 1, 2007, 11:38 am

> Just going from my own research here so I'm also waiting for others to
pipe
> in but, the mesh or wire holds the concrete together and keeps it from
> cracking.


okay, i'll "pipe in".... rebar / wire mesh on a concrete
driveway is a waste of money !

the key is preparation of the ground below it.

presuming the contractor puts in rebar / wire mesh,
what's he using to hold them up during the pour ?

i think the guys in alt.building.construction, that
i'm crossposting to, would have more to say on the
topic of concrete driveways and rebar/wire mesh.

i've seen HUGE driveways done with NO rebar at all,
and the surface is perfect years later. And that's
driving all kinds of heavy pick up trucks and trailers
onto it.




Posted by Mike Hammer on May 1, 2007, 12:28 pm
>
>
>> Just going from my own research here so I'm also waiting for others to
>pipe
>> in but, the mesh or wire holds the concrete together and keeps it from
>> cracking.
>
>
>okay, i'll "pipe in".... rebar / wire mesh on a concrete
>driveway is a waste of money !
>
>the key is preparation of the ground below it.
>
>presuming the contractor puts in rebar / wire mesh,
>what's he using to hold them up during the pour ?
>
>i think the guys in alt.building.construction, that
>i'm crossposting to, would have more to say on the
>topic of concrete driveways and rebar/wire mesh.
>
>i've seen HUGE driveways done with NO rebar at all,
>and the surface is perfect years later. And that's
>driving all kinds of heavy pick up trucks and trailers
>onto it.

You can use the wire mesh if you wish. The concrete is poured over it while the
concrete finisher walks into the wet cement and hooks it up off the bottom. I
prefer to pour with the heaviest psi concrete that I can get and have glass
mixed in it. Thickness is important. Some folks just lay 2"X4" lumber on the
ground and pour cement to that height (3 1/2"). You want at least 4". If you
can find a concrete supplier who will mix to DOT standards you won't have any
problems and you won't need to add anything to the concrete.


Posted by Dave on May 1, 2007, 11:47 pm
>>
>>
>>> Just going from my own research here so I'm also waiting for others to
>>pipe
>>> in but, the mesh or wire holds the concrete together and keeps it from
>>> cracking.
>>
>>
>>okay, i'll "pipe in".... rebar / wire mesh on a concrete
>>driveway is a waste of money !
>>
>>the key is preparation of the ground below it.
>>
>>presuming the contractor puts in rebar / wire mesh,
>>what's he using to hold them up during the pour ?
>>
>>i think the guys in alt.building.construction, that
>>i'm crossposting to, would have more to say on the
>>topic of concrete driveways and rebar/wire mesh.
>>
>>i've seen HUGE driveways done with NO rebar at all,
>>and the surface is perfect years later. And that's
>>driving all kinds of heavy pick up trucks and trailers
>>onto it.
>
> You can use the wire mesh if you wish. The concrete is poured over it
> while the
> concrete finisher walks into the wet cement and hooks it up off the
> bottom. I
> prefer to pour with the heaviest psi concrete that I can get and have
> glass
> mixed in it. Thickness is important. Some folks just lay 2"X4" lumber on
> the
> ground and pour cement to that height (3 1/2"). You want at least 4". If
> you
> can find a concrete supplier who will mix to DOT standards you won't have
> any
> problems and you won't need to add anything to the concrete.
>

2 replies to an unknown OP, not listed by the news server for this newsgroup
(alt.building.construction).

3" of compressed roadbase is common under a concrete driveway around these
parts. Most use 3/8 tied rebar vice mesh wire. 2X4 forms are not unusual
here. They do dig up for 6" deep X 8" wide beams on the perimeter, rebared
too. 10'-12' sections allowing for expansion is common. Tying to the
street is critical. How they setup the apron and its reinforcement can make
or break it when a car creeps off the edge of the driveway.

Last heavy vehicle on this driveway of mine, same method of construction,
was a Dixie type dumptruck hauling 12 yds of sandy loam to my site. No
apparent damage.
--
Dave

Apathy and denial are close cousins



Posted by Mike Hammer on May 2, 2007, 8:05 am
>
>>>
>>>
>>>> Just going from my own research here so I'm also waiting for others to
>>>pipe
>>>> in but, the mesh or wire holds the concrete together and keeps it from
>>>> cracking.
>>>
>>>
>>>okay, i'll "pipe in".... rebar / wire mesh on a concrete
>>>driveway is a waste of money !
>>>
>>>the key is preparation of the ground below it.
>>>
>>>presuming the contractor puts in rebar / wire mesh,
>>>what's he using to hold them up during the pour ?
>>>
>>>i think the guys in alt.building.construction, that
>>>i'm crossposting to, would have more to say on the
>>>topic of concrete driveways and rebar/wire mesh.
>>>
>>>i've seen HUGE driveways done with NO rebar at all,
>>>and the surface is perfect years later. And that's
>>>driving all kinds of heavy pick up trucks and trailers
>>>onto it.
>>
>> You can use the wire mesh if you wish. The concrete is poured over it
>> while the
>> concrete finisher walks into the wet cement and hooks it up off the
>> bottom. I
>> prefer to pour with the heaviest psi concrete that I can get and have
>> glass
>> mixed in it. Thickness is important. Some folks just lay 2"X4" lumber on
>> the
>> ground and pour cement to that height (3 1/2"). You want at least 4". If
>> you
>> can find a concrete supplier who will mix to DOT standards you won't have
>> any
>> problems and you won't need to add anything to the concrete.
>>
>
>2 replies to an unknown OP, not listed by the news server for this newsgroup
>(alt.building.construction).
>
>3" of compressed roadbase is common under a concrete driveway around these
>parts. Most use 3/8 tied rebar vice mesh wire. 2X4 forms are not unusual
>here. They do dig up for 6" deep X 8" wide beams on the perimeter, rebared
>too. 10'-12' sections allowing for expansion is common. Tying to the
>street is critical. How they setup the apron and its reinforcement can make
>or break it when a car creeps off the edge of the driveway.
>
>Last heavy vehicle on this driveway of mine, same method of construction,
>was a Dixie type dumptruck hauling 12 yds of sandy loam to my site. No
>apparent damage.

Its interesting to read about the different ways something is constructed
depending upon where one lives.


Posted by Nehmo Sergheyev on May 7, 2007, 2:10 am
>
>
> > Just going from my own research here so I'm also waiting for others to
> pipe
> > in but, the mesh or wire holds the concrete together and keeps it from
> > cracking.
>
> okay, i'll "pipe in".... rebar / wire mesh on a concrete
> driveway is a waste of money !
>
> the key is preparation of the ground below it.
>
> presuming the contractor puts in rebar / wire mesh,
> what's he using to hold them up during the pour ?
>
> i think the guys in alt.building.construction, that
> i'm crossposting to, would have more to say on the
> topic of concrete driveways and rebar/wire mesh.
>
> i've seen HUGE driveways done with NO rebar at all,
> and the surface is perfect years later. And that's
> driving all kinds of heavy pick up trucks and trailers
> onto it.

Pressure on the surface of a slab will put the bottom of the slab in
tension, that is, it will tend to stretch the bottom. Thus, metal,
rebar, or to a lesser degree mesh, which is stronger in tension than
concrete, will help prevent the slab from failing.

Seeing a slab made in a particular way is just anecdotal. The people
who did it may not have known how to, or wanted to, do the job
properly. A knowledgeable eye will see bad practices and mistakes all
over the place.

Generally, you can hold rebar up with bricks or chairs specially made
for the purpose .


--
(||) Nehmo (||)



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