Is this concrete driveway ready for pour

9 years ago

Contractor says they are pouring my 6 inch driveway tomorrow. His forms are 2x4s. I would think you would need 2x6s for a six in driveway. Also, should all those big pieces of broken concrete still be in there? I have heard nothing bigger than your fist. But my main concern is the soft soil against my foundation. I don't think it's been tamped at all. I've never had a water problem or foundation problem. This is my biggest concern. Any help would be appreciated, as my gut is telling me to have him just STOP now.

Featured Answer

steve_fl

9 years ago

First-Too much rubble in there-get it cleared out
Second-How can it be a 6" pour with 4" forms?
Third-Stakes are on the inside of forms, none outside-how will that work?-forms will be pushed out when hundreds of pounds of cement is poured in there.
Fourth-Why not pour all the way to approach to garage?
Fifth-Make sure there is expansion material put in between the existing building and new pour.
Sixth-I personally would find a new contractor-someone who knows his stuff-
Remember-Concrete is PERMANENT (well almost permanent-but a real pain and expensive to break out/dispose of and re-do)-so do it right the first time!

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Comments (12)

greg_2010
9 years ago
Basic math says that you can't pour 6 inches into a container that's only 4 inches deep. Unless the 2x4s are actually 2 inches up from the bottom.

But I'm no expert.

I also think that rebar is a good idea. Maybe not required, but it helps protect against cracking.
Toni1025
Original Author
9 years ago
Agreed. Not reinforcing with rebar, which is why the 6 inches is so important. Thank you.
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millworkman
9 years ago
Should be some sort of reinforcing I would think 6x6 10/10 wire-mesh would be the correct thing for a driveway
kudzu9
9 years ago
If you are going to pay for the concrete needed for a 6" deep driveway pour, don't cheap out: reinforce it with rebar (my preference) or mesh. It's a simple rectangle, nothing complicated: you should be able to cut the rebar and wire it together in a lot less than a day.
sunnyca_gw
9 years ago
Why are the stakes inside the 2x4's & not outside. Concrete will have uneven area where each of those are & isn't this going to the garage?
millworkman
9 years ago
Are you sure this guy is a masonry contractor? Seems like he really does not know what he is doing....
PRO
Joseph Corlett, LLC
9 years ago
The worst thing about this picture is the nice clean 2x4s. They should be covered in concrete from being stripped and recycled from his last job and they are not. This makes me think perhaps there never was a previous job.

Concrete is always "placed" never "poured".
John Tebbs
9 years ago
My 6-7" thick driveway was placed using 1x6 boards. Lots of curves, so lots of stakes, on the OUTSIDE of the forms. Also, it was placed on a compacted gravel base, not dirt. No re-rod was used, and no mesh, but it was steel fiber concrete. Only two cracks in over 700' Any chance he's using steel fiber concrete?
bus_driver
9 years ago
Along with the other opinions here, the preparation for your driveway is totally inadequate.
I would suggest getting another contractor to immediately take over that job.
jackfre
9 years ago
Is there any provision made for drainage off this slab? Which way do you want it to drain? I'd put a Homasote gasket or some material made for the purpose, between the house foundation and the new pour. As well, whenever I am involved in a project I try to get people to put a few pieces of pipe under the slab for drainage, conduit or sleeves for future use. Easy and cheap to do now.
millworkman
9 years ago
Hopefully the OP had the contractor stop as this would have been poured 10 days ago. Sadly we will probably never hear back from the OP as to the result.