My first concrete work

[Rat407]

Here is the slab out back of my garage for my 80 gallon Kobalt compressor. Also I added to my driveway. The concrete company had a 1 yard minimum and it was $110. I figured out that for just the compressor slab it was going to run me $100 with renting a mixer and getting the 27 bags of 80# Quickcrete. So for the extra yard I figured why not extend my driveway.

The rebar an stuff is crude but it was all I had to work with on short notice. I wanted to get this done before the weather got bad.

The concrete truck is sweet, it mixes it on the spot, no waste.

Here is the driveway extension.

 

[LawnDart79]

For a novice, I think it looks good!

 

[NUTTSGT]

Looks like a hundred bucks well spent.

The only advice I have is next time, only use a 1/2 or 1/3 of a brick under the rebar.


It'd be nice if somebody around here had one of those mix on site trucks. I think it would get used alot for some home owners.

 

[Jeff]

Nice job! Cool mixing truck.

 

[sams]

yeah looks nice, I have never seen or heard of such a concrete truck, so they throw the rock and cement bags in there manually and it mixes it on the spot?

 

[tdkkart]

For a novice, I think it looks good!

Novice my ***, I've seen "professional" jobs that looked a hell of alot worse than that. I'd say it looks damn good. I wouldn't have wasted the money on the wire, but that's just me.

 

[brownbagg]

you do know that red bricks are illegal to use as concrete chairs due to the ability to absorb moisture and that they are a lot weaker than concrete bricks

 

[ddawg16]

Novice my ***, I've seen "professional" jobs that looked a hell of alot worse than that. I'd say it looks damn good. I wouldn't have wasted the money on the wire, but that's just me.

My thoughts too....and I like the perverbial hand print....no concrete job is complete without it.

 

[Rat407]

yeah looks nice, I have never seen or heard of such a concrete truck, so they throw the rock and cement bags in there manually and it mixes it on the spot?

It is a great set up. The truck comes loaded with 10yrs of ready to mix materials. It mixes just what you need, the gravel and sand on one side and the cement in another tank and then there is a 500 gallon water tank on it as well. I think it is 500 not sure. It mixed up what I needed in a minute for each pad. No waste.

Novice my ***, I've seen "professional" jobs that looked a hell of alot worse than that. I'd say it looks damn good. I wouldn't have wasted the money on the wire, but that's just me.

Thanks My dad is a "jack of all trades, master of non" type. I learned from helping him over my 45 yrs. The fence I had stashed away that I was going to use for chicken pen but never did so I figured what better place to use it.

you do know that red bricks are illegal to use as concrete chairs due to the ability to absorb moisture and that they are a lot weaker than concrete bricks

Did not know that. But now I do. I just grabbed what I could around the house and figured it was about the best thing other than using pieces of rebar drove into the ground as stands.

 

[LEVE]

Your prep and cement work looks very, very good.

When I was pouring the driveway sections I had a "Mix as you go" truck come over. It saved me money and I'll use them again when needed.

The only thing I could suggest is to use rebar plastic standoffs similar to these:

These are cheap, keep the rebar at the proper height, resists wicking of moisture into the rebar and avoids concrete voids around the area where the rebar is supported.

 

[lodemia]

With that amount of bar and wire, I think you're pretty safe using the red bricks for rebar support. Seems a little over-engineered to me.

Go big or go home, I guess.

 

[lodemia]

you do know that red bricks are illegal to use as concrete chairs due to the ability to absorb moisture and that they are a lot weaker than concrete bricks

It's his property, he has to live with it. What's going to happen, concrete police?

I live in an area where there are no inspections, so I have to deal with my own incompetence. I don't have nosy neighbors or government officials telling me what I did wrong.

I guess it's one of the few refuges left in this country.

I think the work looks great. You have every reason to be proud.

 

[tdkkart]

you do know that red bricks are illegal to use as concrete chairs due to the ability to absorb moisture and that they are a lot weaker than concrete bricks

Good grief. I've seen and used practically everything except dead bodies to prop up rebar, rocks, bricks, 2x4's, paper cups, pop and beer cans, old tin cans, glass bottles, pieces of pipe etc, never seen anything that even looked like a failure because of what was used to prop up the bar.
What ever is used only has to be there just long enough so that you can pour the mud and don't have to hold up the bars. Unless it's a rocket launching facility it probably don't matter a hill of beans.

 

[PassnThru]

It's his property, he has to live with it. What's going to happen, concrete police?

I live in an area where there are no inspections, so I have to deal with my own incompetence. I don't have nosy neighbors or government officials telling me what I did wrong.

I guess it's one of the few refuges left in this country.

I think the work looks great. You have every reason to be proud.

Good grief. I've seen and used practically everything except dead bodies to prop up rebar, rocks, bricks, 2x4's, paper cups, pop and beer cans, old tin cans, glass bottles, pieces of pipe etc, never seen anything that even looked like a failure because of what was used to prop up the bar.
What ever is used only has to be there just long enough so that you can pour the mud and don't have to hold up the bars. Unless it's a rocket launching facility it probably don't matter a hill of beans.

So what's wrong with pointing it out? I can't vouch for it being illegal but it probably wasn't the best thing to use. In this case, it probably doesn't matter. The OP pointed out that this was his first concrete work. I think it is appropriate to point out what he might have done better just in case he later tackles a project where it might matter.
Good job BTW.

 

[m.james]

Looks good just keep an eye on it to make bubble don't form but you probably already knew that. Pretty sweet truck.

 

[Motown 454]

Nice job it looks good. Nice work.

 

[Falcon67]

Looks great but the mesh is upside down. KIDDING! Nicely done. I'd like to know how to do that on a slightly larger slab - say 24 x 44.

 

[magnusk750]

One thing that strikes me is that it seems like you always pour the concrete on the soil, without any gravel beneath? Or does it depend on the soil or climate? Were I am, Scandinavia is 100% practice to make a bed of some 3 - 6 inches of gravel, sometimes more, under the concrete.

Absolutely no offence to you Rat407, seems you are following practice were you are, just makes me wonder.

 

[00pewter]

So it cost you $100 to do that? Seems like a pretty good deal

 

[jsmith6752]

great job....I would be proud as hell if it were me!

 

[pistolpete]

One thing that strikes me is that it seems like you always pour the concrete on the soil, without any gravel beneath? Or does it depend on the soil or climate? Were I am, Scandinavia is 100% practice to make a bed of some 3 - 6 inches of gravel, sometimes more, under the concrete.

The use of a granular material under a concrete slab is more of a concern in a location that will see frost. The granular layer allows water to drain away from the bottom of the slab. This helps to avoid any water freezing directly under the slab and causing upheave and/or cracking. Or atleast thats what I remember from my college days...

 

[mad57]

ok what is that truck called ... i just today went with p.o.s dump truck got 2 ton of sand and stone mix than another trip with pick up for 10 bags of portland to do a 10x 20 room to raise the slab about 3.5 to 4 in tappered and so far ive got $135 bucks in material and alot of trips and time , my local cement co said easy $ over 500 with hot water charge and del and material good deal on ur part.

 

[Justanoldguy]

Concrete Police... love it.

I too don't get the Illegal aspect of the bricks.
Do they actually have a LAW that states it's illegal?