Pouring Concrete Driveway or Walkway
Q: I would like to know what the professional standard is for pouring a concrete driveway and walkway. The driveway is 18 feet by 33 feet and the walkway is three feet wide by 33 feet long. How many expansion joints should be installed and in what areas? How deep should it be and what grade of concrete should be used?
A: According to my concrete expert, concrete should not be less than a five sack mix (five sacks of cement per cubic yard) or a compressive strength of not less than 2800 PSI for a driveway.
Concrete should be a minimum thickness of four inches and placed on a well compacted surface.
Expansion joints should be placed so that no section of concrete exceeds 150 square feet and so the joints are no farther apart in length then twice the width. The depth of the joints should be a minimum of one-fourth the thickness of the slab. For example, a four-inch slab needs one-inch deep joints.
You may also check out The Concrete Network at www.concretenetwork.com for more information about concrete applications.
To locate some reputable concrete specialists to install your new driveway and sidewalk, visit Home Advisor and be matched with the ideal service professional in your area.
by Kathy Maynard, reprinted courtesy of HomeAdvisor.com