Concrete or Asphalt

[dragoneggs]

My vote is for concrete with fiber, no rebar.

With fiber? Please elaborate.

 

[EddieWalker]

Fiber will make concrete a little less likely to crack, but it does not replace rebar. It also sticks out of the finished surface and has to be sanded off or burned off.

Eddie

 

[Soundguy]

yup. fibr adatives to concrete for mono slabs is pretty common. and yeah.. got to runn a lapp machine over it afterwards.

 

[AGRIMAN]

I have several concrete pads including two farm shops that were all poured using fiber and no rebar. The old shop was built in 2000 with a 8 inch floor and it has never cracked, the new shop was built in 2011 with a 6 inch floor and it has no cracks. We finished the old shop floor ourselves and what little fiber was sticking up quickly wore off with use. The same with the other pads that we finished ourselves and we never had to sand any of them. The new shop floor has a really slick finish which was done by a professional concrete guy and there was never any exposed fiber in that floor.

I'm sure conditions/requirements may vary in different areas, but around here fiber is acceptable without rebar. I think whether or not the pad cracks has as much to do with the proper prep of the ground underneath it as anything.

Almost forgot...... spend your money on concrete.

 

[MH8675309]

I've never heard of someone doing asphalt in a barn

 

[Cat_Driver]

Buy the best you will never regret it. GO CEMENT.

 

[71bronco]

Fiber will make concrete a little less likely to crack, but it does not replace rebar. It also sticks out of the finished surface and has to be sanded off or burned off.

Eddie

The fiber wears off quickly. My attached garage floor(4" thick) with fiber has a few hairline cracks after 19 yrs. My barn floor(4" thick) with fiber has no cracks after 18 years. Just cut expansion joints every 10 to 15 ft.

Jeff

 

[Rockin' G Ranch]

Thanks for all the comments. The barn will be used for tractor and other equipment storage as well as a work room for repairing equipment. I have reconsidered my options and have decided to follow your great advise and go with concrete.
I found a concrete company that will do the entire job for $4/ft2 for a 4" thick slab with rebar. That price includes all ground work, labor, rebar and cement. They also do asphalt for $2/ft2. I agree with ya'll that the extra cost is worth it.

One more question: what is your recommendation for rebar size and spacing?

Thanks for your advise.

 

[mjcountrybumpkin]

Go with 4000 psi mix for a better floor. Not much more money, that with fiber added is all I would use. Have control joints cut to at least 2/3 rds the depth of slab at 10 ' intervals and you will have a good pad with no cracking.

 

[Soundguy]

I've never heard of someone doing asphalt in a barn

i'v eseen and heard it and none turned out good.

all rutted. even where animals walked a center isle over the years.