Pave Your Own Driveway?

[lman]

Even the highway pavers will have 6 to 8 people working behind it.

Those are the guys holding up the shovels, not necessarily using them.

 

[Egon]

In most paving/concrete jobs where all the workers are really busy scurrying around it’s an indication there are not enough workers or the job process are not going well!

The more competent the crew the less work they seem to do.

Hot day:

Heat wave causes road to buckle in South Seattle

Temperature soaring well into the 90s Wednesday was too much for a portion of the road at 4th Ave South at South Industrial Way, which buckled to the heat, officials say. It was bad timing for a 44-year-old woman, who sustained minor injuries after driving onto the buckled road and crashing her...

komonews.com

 

[ruffdog]

In most paving/concrete jobs where all the workers are really busy scurrying around it’s an indication there are not enough workers or the job process are not going well!

The more competent the crew the less work they seem to do.

VERY true!

 

[3 Horse Ranch]

When I’m talking a concrete paver that doesn’t need much if any hand work it’s the kind that does highways and interstate highways. The trucks just dump on the ground in front of it and the machine augers it from there. There is even an arm that follows behind it and swings back and forth to finish it. I’ve seen similar ones used on airport runways and taxi ways.

We hauled concrete in dump trucks to a job at a US Customs commercial vehicle crossing a few years ago. The concrete was so stiff, probably a zero slump, that there was nothing for a crew to do when it came out of the paving machine. I didn't get out of my dump truck to measure it, but it appeared to be 10" or more thick and the sides held their shape. For as much concrete as we dumped there really wasn't much crew, a coupe of guys on the machine, one or two spotters to spot where to dump, and of course federal and state inspectors.

 

[ljjhouser]

Is the drive on flat ground? If so you can form it and pour it at about 6 slump. No wetter that that. If on a hill, you may want a 4 or 5 slump. The drier slump will require MORE work. You will need at least 3 good people on each day you pour. One person to operate the chute to keep the truck moving and pour appropriate amounts. Two other with jitterbug or come alongs to level - and a screed to drag. Then float. After the truck leaves, it will soon be time to brush, groove and edge the sections. Someone will have to be familiar with the stages of set progression to know when to Brush, groove and edge. Have a cooler on site with about 2 cases of water (NOT beer). Anything less than these resources, then DON't do it.

I poured my drive using forms. 40 Yards

Concrete is a fantastic material. It is somewhat expensive and very desireable, UNLESS in the wrong place or unfinished, then it is MORE expensive and less desireable.

 

[Creamer]

Is the drive on flat ground? If so you can form it and pour it at about 6 slump. No wetter that that. If on a hill, you may want a 4 or 5 slump. The drier slump will require MORE work. You will need at least 3 good people on each day you pour. One person to operate the chute to keep the truck moving and pour appropriate amounts. Two other with jitterbug or come alongs to level - and a screed to drag. Then float. After the truck leaves, it will soon be time to brush, groove and edge the sections. Someone will have to be familiar with the stages of set progression to know when to Brush, groove and edge. Have a cooler on site with about 2 cases of water (NOT beer). Anything less than these resources, then DON't do it.

Concrete is a fantastic material. It is somewhat expensive and very desireable, UNLESS in the wrong place or unfinished, then it is MORE expensive and less desireable.

The drive is on mostly flat ground. There is a small hill at one end leading up to the parking area - maybe 20' of rise.

 

[4570Man]

We hauled concrete in dump trucks to a job at a US Customs commercial vehicle crossing a few years ago. The concrete was so stiff, probably a zero slump, that there was nothing for a crew to do when it came out of the paving machine. I didn't get out of my dump truck to measure it, but it appeared to be 10" or more thick and the sides held their shape. For as much concrete as we dumped there really wasn't much crew, a coupe of guys on the machine, one or two spotters to spot where to dump, and of course federal and state inspectors.

What kind of outfit did they have to load the dump trucks?

 

[3 Horse Ranch]

What kind of outfit did they have to load the dump trucks?

It was a wet batch system the company had built at their newest batch plant. We just drove through and parked under the boot they use for loading mixer trucks. They claimed the first job they did with the set up paid for it, concrete apron at the passenger terminal at Bellingham Airport. For engineered concrete it is ideal, every batch is identical, not depending on the mixer driver to add too little or too much water and the differences between a new drum and fins and one that is about shot.

 

[4570Man]

How far can you haul concrete in a dump truck?

 

[RickB]

How far can you haul concrete in a dump truck?

As far as you want. Once.

 

[PILOON]

As far as you want. Once.

LOL, good response.

 

[dodge man]

I also worked on a job at an airport apron, I was doing inspection and taking concrete beams(test specimens). The pavement was thick, like 24” thick. They didn’t haul in dump trucks but used what they called buggies. Almost like a concrete truck with the drum cut in half, but smaller. They didn’t spin, just brought the concrete and dumped. The plant was really close, maybe a 1/4 mile away.

 

[ruffdog]

I also worked on a job at an airport apron, I was doing inspection and taking concrete beams(test specimens). The pavement was thick, like 24” thick. They didn’t haul in dump trucks but used what they called buggies. Almost like a concrete truck with the drum cut in half, but smaller. They didn’t spin, just brought the concrete and dumped. The plant was really close, maybe a 1/4 mile away.

When they did the interstate here, almost all of the trucks were dump trucks or those half-round dumps. The plant was about 5 miles away.

 

[Snobdds]

I watched them rebuild a airport runway here a few years back. The concrete was 15 inches thick with standing rebar. They used a combination of dumb trucks and belly dumps. They just dumped in front of the slip form machine. The aggregate pile feeding the concrete plant was huge. They brought in a mobile concrete plant just for the runway.

 

[ljjhouser]

How far can you haul concrete in a dump truck?

You mean 'How long"

 

[3 Horse Ranch]

The airport was about 6 miles, the border crossing was 18 miles, probably 25-35 minutes with traffic and speed zones etc., I really don't know how far or how long concrete can be hauled in a dump truck, it would depend on the air temp, humidity and mix design.

 

[bigtiller]

I wonder how many bumps in the road it would take for most of the aggregate settle to the bottom.

 

[MossRoad]

I wonder how many bumps in the road it would take for most of the aggregate settle to the bottom.

It'll all get mixed up again when they dump it and the auger starts chewing on it. It must be working... all our concrete highways are in great shape!

 

[dodge man]

That’s the problem with hauling concrete in trucks that don’t spin, it can segregate.

 

[3 Horse Ranch]

That’s the problem with hauling concrete in trucks that don’t spin, it can segregate.

I didn't see it. I am pretty sure it was a zero slump mix . It self leveled after the drive, but there was no migration of water to the top even after the drive in a hard spring Mack.
.I mixed some concrete at home dumped it into my tractor bucket and took it about 1200 feet to anchor in a corner post and it had all separated out so I know what you mean. Dump truck hauling has it's obvious limits.