WAY OT: Need advice/resource on pouring concrete fordrivewayaddition

[jtoomasson at yahoo.com (Jeff Toomasson)]

Wow!  Thanks, Marc - great write-up.  Now where to find the $$$...   :)
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Marc Getty" <marc@getty.net>
To: "'Jeff Toomasson'" <jtoomasson@yahoo.com>; <scirocco-l@scirocco.org>
Sent: Monday, October 20, 2003 2:15 PM
Subject: RE: WAY OT: Need advice/resource on pouring concrete for
drivewayaddition



Excavate to a rough 8" below the current driveway surface. Use a few
select measurements and string to ensure that it's at least 8" deep
all the way around. If it's deeper then this that's okay, just not any
shallower. Note that 25' = 300". 300" x 300" x 8" = 720,000 sq. in.
One cubic yard is 46,656 sq. in., so this will yield 15.4 cubic yards
removed.

Fill in 4" of this excavation with stone. Again, use string to ensure
that it's 4" below the existing surface. This will take 7.7 yards of
stone to complete, order more just in case.

Once this is done, acquire a few pieces of rebar and enough steel
reinforcing mesh to cover the entire the entire surface. Two rolls of
mesh should be enough. The green coated stuff will last a lot longer
then the rusty steel will. If you can, drill into the edges of the
existing driveway by 6" and slide a 12" piece of rebar into it,
leaving the other half exposed, this will make a smooth transition.

Make up a bulkhead out of a 2x6 on the open end and reinforce it into
the ground with some wooden stakes. Keep in mind that you are holding
back 24,000 pounds of concrete with this, don't go half-assed!

You will need rakes and wheelbarrows, unless you get a front loading
concrete truck that can pull right up to the pour. But keep in mind
that a concrete truck with 8 yards in it will weigh in at about 65,000
to 70,000 pounds, most driveways can't take that kind of weight parked
for a few minutes.

After this, get a ready-mix concrete truck to bring you 8 yards of
concrete with a 4" slump. Please, if you ever get anything done by a
professional, get a finisher to help you with this. I've never ever
seen someone who has not had experience pouring concrete get this
right on the first time! It's cheaper to hire a finisher for the day
then to jackhammer it out and pour again!

Long trowels and perhaps a gas troweling machine is helpful. Once it's
finished, cover it in poly and then cover the poly in water. Keep it
covered in poly & water for as long as you can. 4 days would be great.
This will make it cure very slowly, and get very hard.

Concrete hardens as fast as ice cream melts. Don't let it sit around!

-Marc

'81 "Gorgeous" Cedar Green Metallic Mk1 Scirocco - No Pictures to date
'87 Tornado Red 16v Bogged Scirocco http://getty.net/scirocco/ RIP
'02 Mercedes-Benz C230 Kompressor Sports Coupe -
http://getty.net/c230k/
    in Heliodongr?n (Citron Green) w/ European Delivery at 43,900 mi


-----Original Message-----
From: scirocco-l-bounces@scirocco.org
[mailto:scirocco-l-bounces@scirocco.org] On Behalf Of Jeff Toomasson
Sent: Monday, October 20, 2003 3:18 PM
To: scirocco-l@scirocco.org
Subject: WAY OT: Need advice/resource on pouring concrete for
drivewayaddition


My driveway has a 25sq.ft. notch that was never poured because there
used to be a tree there. Now it's just an eye-sore and a waste of
space. It's actually where my mk1 currently sits.

I know a few of you out there have some General Contractor-type
knowledge. If anyone can point me in the right direction, I'd really
appreciate it. The following are the things I'd like get a better
grasp of.

- What particular material I should use (SF Bay Area climate ranges
from 50-95'F - we rarely, if ever, get below 40'F)
- how deep to dig the area in question
- Use of rebar and whether to drill into existing adjoining sections
for additional reinforcement

Thanks again!

Jeff
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