Pouring Garage Slab

[solitaire]

Is it possibe to pour a 30'x40' concrete slab by sectioning off smaller slabs and pouring each section over a few months by hand? Or is this not a smart way to save some $ ?

 

[Ron Lombardo]

Pouring and mixing by hand ... my experience has always been the concrete is never mixed evenly enough and constant enough for strength. You would be better off doing it in sections with a concrete truck ... in the long run its faster, cheaper and stronger.

 

[ToolmanGary]

Pour it all at one time and have some profession help that knows what they are doing, you can get in trouble real fast. Also I would put plastic down for a vapor barrier and wire in the concrete.

 

[Full Size 66]

Only my opinion but do not try to save money on the slab. If any where on your project not on the slab. I tried to save only 500 on the concrete supplier and this week spent 5K to have the slab polished to correct a delaminating top. This is not just the mud but finishers too, however if I had went with the more expensive concrete it would have come from 3 minutes away and been fresher. The experts consulted all say the pour began drying way to fast and the finishers over worked the slab. Polished concrete is AWSOME! I just think you should choose to do the slab in one pour for the fact of being one finished piece.

 

[TeamTruett]

I wouldn't mix by hand, rent an electric cement mixer, well worth it. I poured over my old scaly and uneven basement floor with 3 1/2 inch slabs. I did it in 5 sections over five Saturdays. Approx. 24x30. I got estimates on having concrete contractors come and do an all at once pour (walkout basement). Then I did the math, if I bought an electric mixer, concrete mix (delivered), wire, and finishing tools myself, it cost half of my lowest estimate and I had a mixer to show for it which I have used for other projects and loaned it out a dozen times. It's a three man job and a heavy lifting one at that. Young or old it will wear you out. Wear high quality dusk masks and work gloves. With that said, you are pouring a new foundation that probably has footings and is thicker than what I did, thus more material and work over all. Sometimes its just worth writing a check and being done with it

 

[jimp]

If you mean mix and pour, NO............

However, if you mean pour from a ready mix truck in section, yes.
See attached

I have mixed and poured smaller slabs and would never attempt such a job, plus my mix was inferior to the ready mix.

 

[Toomanytools?]

Is it possibe to pour a 30'x40' concrete slab by sectioning off smaller slabs and pouring each section over a few months by hand? Or is this not a smart way to save some $ ?

Anything is possible the least I would do is half so pour 30x20, then next chunk later. Thing is slabs will be different colors not a big deal but noticable. So let's say you need 18yards @ $125/yard = $2250.00, flat work in my area about .85 cents/sqft so add another $1000.00, metal and extras about $3500, maybe save up and do it at once. Don't think I would pour small 1 yards dumps at a time, try to do it all at once. Good Luck.

 

[rburke65]

Well just looked up a calculator on the Sakcrete site.......are you aware that a 30x40' at 4" deep, you are going to have to mix almost 900, 60# bags!!! I'd vote "no".

 

[pcmeiners]

Mixing by hand you will not get the quaility of a truck mix, too many variables, there is an art to mixing concrete (to little/to much water, mixing time, ambient temperature, water temperature, additives, Portland type, gravel size). Sakcrete is Shackedcrap, I would never use it for a slab. If you do mix by hand you better get a full size mixer, not one of the toys they sell at Home Depot, and a couple extra strong backs. As for "over a few months", your best off pouring in moderate weather, Spring or Fall, neither cover a few months. Expansion/contraction of multiple pours is an issue.