Debate: vapor barrier under concrete driveway to avoid cracking?

16 years ago

My landscape contractor plans to install a 10 mill vapor barrier on top of the base rock for our new concrete driveway. He claims that in his past jobs that used vapor barriers, he got no cracking in the concrete driveways.

My soils engineer was skeptical, and said that he thought that with the large amount of water we get in our area, and the silty clay ground, that it would be better for the water to reach the concrete surface.

Who is right?

Comments (2)

randy427
16 years ago
The logic I come up with is that the vapor barrier might keep the concrete from curing too fast with the moisture being wicked down into sand/stone underneath. If it's a silty clay soil directly underneath, instead, then that wicking would not be as significant.
brickeyee
16 years ago
Concrete NEEDS water to cure properly.
Within reason, the more the better.

It would be better to wet the base slightly before pouring.
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Debate: vapor barrier under concrete driveway to avoid cracking?

Comments (2)

randy427

brickeyee

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