Can i concrete my driveway

If the sub-base is not suitable here, dig another four inches and add your hardcore. This will need to be compacted, which may require the hire of a plate compactor. Having this layer firmly compacted and level across your planned pour site will form a solid foundation upon which your concrete can be poured. If needed, you can reinforce your driveway with steel so that it is fundamentally stronger, enabling it to handle heavier loads with ease.

To do this, install reinforcing steel rebars in a grid pattern over your pour site. You can buy a dedicated concrete wire mesh for this purpose. Reinforcing your concrete with steel mesh will help to distribute the weight of your vehicles more evenly, drastically improving its strength. While this step is optional, it is still highly recommended.

With the sub-base and perimeter all set up, you just need to wait for the concrete to arrive. Ready mix concrete should be poured as soon as possible after reaching your worksite.

If, for whatever reason, you need to hire a concrete pump to pour your concrete, the Total Concrete team can arrange this for you. Pour the concrete in even loads. As it is poured, you can distribute the concrete using a hoe, keeping the concrete relatively flat and slightly higher than the top of the forms. Once all the concrete has been poured, it needs to be flattened to create a consistent, smooth surface.

Start by removing excess concrete so the final slab is level with the forms. Starting from one end of the driveway, placing the timber horizontally across the slab, move it back and forth in a steady sawing motion to flatten out the concrete as you go.

Use any excess concrete to fill in shallow areas as you go. Image via Elcon Concrete. Using a trowel and leveller, smooth and level out the concrete. Create straight grooves throughout the driveway see image using a groover, this will help prevent cracks. You can also use a broom to finish the concrete, this will provide more of a non slip traction, an ideal finish in particularly wet conditions.

A broom finish is recommended as it will ensure your driveway is not too slippery when it rain. Image via Sciulli Concrete. The concrete needs to set and then be cured either with a dedicated sealant or by watering daily for a few days. The curing of concrete is a critical process, which sees the concrete harden and acquire its strength. Poor curing can lead to weak cement that may degrade and breakdown more quickly. Concrete curing time can vary, but typically takes a few days to set and between 1 to 3.

Depending on the type of driveway you are building, you will typically need one or two of the following machines:. Yes, most councils in Australia will require you to remove the existing concrete footpath before installing your new driveway.

This process is required to build a driveway crossover, which refers to the area of driveway that connects from your property boundary to the edge of the road pavement the part that covers the footpath. A driveway crossover is the part of a driveway that connects the edge of the road pavement to the official boundary of a property, essentially the part of driveway that is on council land over the footpath between the road and the official boundary of your property.

The driveway crossover requires any existing pavement that crosses over the planned driveway to be removed. A full slab driveway crossover is required, by most Councils, between the kerb and property boundary. In most States, the driveway crossover has to be graded appropriately to protect against storm water overflow from the road.

In addition to this, must be designed in a way that prevents storm water from flowing into your neighbour's property too. There are many different types of sealers and can be applied by brush, roller or by using a low-pressure airless sprayer. Application should be made per manufacturer's instructions. The Bottom Line is Quality The quality of a completed concrete driveway is dependent upon the workmanship of the paving contractor plus the quality of the concrete used in the project.

Concrete driveways are constructed using ready mixed concrete manufactured locally from portland cement, high quality aggregates, and water. Quality ready mixed concrete, suitable for paving is available from more than over 4, ready mixed concrete producers throughout the United States and Canada.

Disclaimer Portland Cement Association disclaims any and all responsibility for the applications of the principles discussed in this publication or for the accuracy of the sources other than work performed or information developed by the Association. The listing of organizations and information resources constitutes neither an endorsement nor recommendation by the Portland Cement Association PCA. PCA disclaims any and all responsibility for the selection of organizations listed and the products they represent.

PCA also assumes no responsibility for errors and omissions in this list. Joshua Gilman, P. Cement Industry Annual Yearbook U. Why Concrete Driveways? Planning The quality of the completed concrete driveway always begins with good planning. Site Preparation When the basic driveway design has been decided, the next step is site preparation.

For example: Compressive strength - 4, psi at 28 days is adequate strength for most climates Air content - designate air content with a range of five to seven percent in all climates. In addition to improving the long term durability of the concrete, air content also improves the workability, without the need for adding water. Slump - be sure to designate slump. For driveway paving, specify four inch slump. Slump greater than five inches should definitely be avoided.

Aggregates - designate the size of the coarse aggregate. For a slightly higher fee, chert-reduced aggregate can be ordered to help prevent pop-outs. Curing Curing is one of the most important and also the most often neglected phase of good concrete construction. Poorly cured concrete is more likely to crack and will not be as durable. Curing should last for a least three days, and as long as seven days, if practical.

There are several methods of curing, including plastic sheets to cover the concrete, or continuous sprinkling, or applying a special curing compound. Curing should begin as soon as possible after the finishing operations. Wood forms are then installed around the perimeter of the intended driveway. A base of class-5 gravel at least 4 inches thick is added, graded, and compacted.

Reinforcement material is added just above the packed gravel base, consisting of a steel wire grid or metal rebar laid in a criss-cross pattern across the area. The driveway is now ready for the concrete pour. This generally involves a crew of several people working quickly to fill the forms with wet concrete as it is delivered from a ready-mix vendor and then to quickly finish the surface.

The finishing crew should also ensure an adequate number of expansion joints—grooves formed across the wet surface at prescribed intervals to allow the slab to shift and break at controlled places. Without expansion grooves, a slab can fragment randomly under the effect of natural settling and shifting.

A key part of the finishing process is floating the concrete. After the concrete is poured and smoothed, the finishing crew uses a variety of tools to work the surface of the concrete, drawing the cement and finer particles to the surface through capillary action to create an attractive, smoother surface.

The amount of floating determined how smooth the surface will be, and there is considerable craft involved in doing so because excessive floating will weaken the surface and cause it to flake, while too little will leave the slab with a rough, industrial look. This is also the time when a skilled crew can impart decorative finishes and colors to the surface of the slab. One of the most important parts of a concrete driveway installation begins after all of the above work is done—the curing.

Concrete doesn't dry out; rather, it undergoes a slow chemical process that hardens and strengthens the material. It is very important that this curing process occurs under the best of circumstances. That begins with the weather. Ideal curing weather is about 70 degrees with a surface that is kept damp but not wet. In cool weather, curing will take longer. In hot weather, the surface should be dampened regularly with water to slow down the curing time.

Wait at least a week before driving on the new driveway, and at least a month before parking heavy vehicles on the driveway. Wait a month or two before sealing the concrete.