EddieWalker
Epic Contributor
Be sure to read this at least twice. Maybe a few more times if you are thinking of using wire or fiber instead of rebar. Keep reading it until you realize that rebar on chairs is the only way to do this correctly.Yes, fiber and wire do different things.
Concrete is very strong in compression, but relatively weak in tension. Properly rebar reinforced concrete is twice as strong as unreinforced concrete. The compression happens when a heavy truck passes over a well compacted, deep base. The latter happens when there is a lack of support underneath, and the concrete flexes downward, like a beam in a building.
Glass or plastic fiber helps with surface cracking and spalling, especially during drying. It doesn't add much strength to the final concrete. There are spiral steel "fibers" that are sometimes used as a strength additive, but even more than glass or plastic, the steel fibers tend to clump during mixing, which does away with their strength. It is very technique driven, and dependent upon not having water on the surface, I.e. ok for a warehouse floor, but not for a driveway, especially one that gets salt.
Rebar, 3/4 of the way down on lots of supports (chairs, preferably plastic or concrete), wired together so that it does not get stepped on and pressed to the bottom, acts in tension to support the concrete and helps reduce cracking caused by heavy loads or a poor base, or, say ground squirrels.
Lots of information here; Concrete Rebar: Everything You Need To Know [plus 8 Main Types]
Steel Fibers and Rebar - Concrete Fiber Solutions
(You can click here to download a printable version of this article.) Steel fibers and rebar have some things in common. Both are made of steel. Both are used to reinforce concrete, and both can be found in floor slabs. Because of those common features, it is tempting to think of the two...www.concretefibersolutions.com
@Creamer In answer to the original question, this doesn't sound like a DIY job to me, and as others have mentioned, I think that the pricing is off.
For DIY, in addition to pouring, concrete requires good surface work (floating) to milk more cement to the surface to make a harder, more water impervious layer at the top. You need to be doing that at the right time after pouring when the concrete has just set enough. Concrete waits for nobody.
As @Have tractor will travel mentions, you could break it up into small 12x12' chunks, but why demo out a reasonable asphalt base? I would level up the base, tar it, add fabric (geotextile), tar it again, and pave with 2+" of new asphalt. If you are worried about loads, talk to your asphalt supplier and get base asphalt put down which has a coarser mix of gravel, but is stronger. Repave with a second layer of finish asphalt in a year or two, if you want a supper smooth driveway.
All the best,
Peter
More important the rebar, is how much water is added to the concrete. Water creates volume. When that water evaporates, the amount of space it took up goes away, and the concrete cracks. Big cracks are from too much water. This happens in the first couple of days and it has nothing to do with the soil under it, or what was used to reinforce it. There is a slump test that can be done with a small plastic bucket to see if there is too much water. But basically, you want the concrete to be able to hold its shape to dome degree, and not be like soup. It is a lot more work and effort to work concrete with the correct amount of water, so most contractors will add more water so it flows easier.
The driveway does not need to be 12 feet wide. Ten feet wide is plenty to drive on with room on either side.
Because concrete expands when it's hot out, and contracts when it's cold out, expansion joints need to be big enough to handle this. You have to pour a driveway in sections so it can expand and contract.
Asphalt allows you to have a smooth surface the entire length. It fails at the edges and where heavy vehicles make turns. Going wider with asphalt will allow more strength so it lasts longer. 12 feet would probably be better for the width, but it's a massive expense when 10 feet works most of the time.
There are different mixes in asphalt. One of my clients runs an asphalt plant and the County and Highway mix is a lot different, and more expensive, then what some companies use for driveways. When there is a huge project going on, they will only have the County mix available, and that drives up the cost considerably. You also get a much stronger road if you use it. There are paving companies out there that charge you a set price for the driveway, and then order the cheapest mix possible. The home owner rarely knows the difference and thinks that they are getting the same thing that the roads are made of. Be sure to know what mix of asphalt that you are paying for, and if a better mix is available.
When it's all said and done, paying a pro to do it correctly is almost always the cheapest way to go. If you do it yourself, the learning curve is very long, painful and expensive.
