steel mesh or fiber in concrete

[waggy1]

I am building a new driveway and need to know if it is better to use steel mesh or is fiber in the concrete as good. it is being built on an existing pad that is made of clay topped with 2's and 304. it is very stable and large trucks drive on it all the time with no problems. the concrete will be 4" thick. Thanks for your help!!!

 

[Erik_in_Hoyt]

i suggest using #4 or 5 rebar on a 2 foot grid.
use 2" "chairs" to hold it off the ground during the pour.

 

[gumshu]

I am building a new driveway and need to know if it is better to use steel mesh or is fiber in the concrete as good. it is being built on an existing pad that is made of clay topped with 2's and 304. it is very stable and large trucks drive on it all the time with no problems. the concrete will be 4" thick. Thanks for your help!!!

Mesh is difficult to keep at the proper height as everyone walks over it during the pour. You'll have to use dobbies for sure. Fiber is good, depending of the type of finish you're willing accept as strands will poke out; but its quick and easy. For average driveways (31/2") you can get by with #3's 18" OC. For expansive clay soils, you'll want a good base. Don't forget to digg out your edges deeper than the rest of the slab. Good luck

 

[8934]

If it was me, I would use rebar, esp arround edges & fiber as well. Its cheap insurance.

 

[bigtiller]

4 inches is not nearly enough. It is marginable for a home driveway but perfect for sidewalks. Big trucks will have 4 inch concrete broken to bits in less than 5 years.

 

[RFB]

For my ranch shop (60 x 30 with additional 10 x 60 apron) I used 6 bag mix, 1 inch rebar on 2 foot centers on rebar chairs, and over-layed the rebar with steel screen.

3 pours front to back, 6 inches nominal throughout with 12 inch edges.

After two weeks I made saw cuts every ten feet.

 

[whistlepig]

First time the ground heaves during a thaw would be the end of 4" of concrete and fiber.

 

[radman1]

I just had a cement contractor give me a bid for driveway. I wanted it heavy enough for a heavy tandem axle truck to drive on. He recommended 5" thick cement with mesh. For 12 cents more a sp foot, can add fiber cement, which he also recommended. He said fiber cement by itself is good, but still prefers mesh over just fiber cement.

Many posters have recommended rebar around the edges. Maybe I will add that.

Also, the contractor quoted the concrete as LSG 3500. What does that mean?

 

[gpflepsen]

I just had a cement contractor give me a bid for driveway. I wanted it heavy enough for a heavy tandem axle truck to drive on. He recommended 5" thick cement with mesh. For 12 cents more a sp foot, can add fiber cement, which he also recommended. He said fiber cement by itself is good, but still prefers mesh over just fiber cement.

Many posters have recommended rebar around the edges. Maybe I will add that.

Also, the contractor quoted the concrete as LSG 3500. What does that mean?

You must be Nebraska, or really close. LSG is a limestone rock mix, 10%. If you want longevity with heavy truck traffic, use 6" slab with an LSG3500. Better yet would be a 47B or L3500 state mix which has more rock, but that's tougher for the crews to work by hand. The 3500 is compressive strength.

 

[AlanB]

My 2 cents,

It is much cheaper to do it overkill the first time, then to do it over a second.

My shop floor I just did I used #4 (1/2") rebar on about 6' centers with a layer of Remesh over it. I went 6", I used dobies, I used 4000 psi concrete (straight no ash, that may be a local thing)

I am going to try the apron similar but at 4" and just Remesh not rebar.

Remesh is a self supporting sheet (but you still need dobies) as opposed to the wire that comes in a roll and everyone tells you they pull it into the center when pouring, but I have never cored the concrete and found the wire anywhere near the center.

Good luck.