Concrete
Concrete – Cracking
One of the inevitable facts about concrete slabs is that there will be some cracking. One of the sayings in concrete design is “ All concrete cracks…..the purpose of reinforcement is to hold the broken bits together.” So what does…
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Concreting – Bar Chairs
No we are not talking about seats in a pub. Bar Chairs are used to make sure the steel reinforcement in concrete ‘sits’ in the right place. Here is a typical plastic ‘chair” And here is a different type. Getting…
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Concrete – Reinforcement Mesh
Purpose of Steel Mesh Reinforcement A lot of people believe that the steel mesh adds substantially to the strength of concrete paving. This is a myth! The truth is large areas of concrete paving will crack. What well thought out…
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Liquid Limestone
You might have heard of Liquid Limestone as an alternative paving material…….But what is it? Really its just a different type of concrete. It is much more common in West Australia than other states. The differences between conventional concrete and…
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Plain Concrete Finishes
Basically there are three different common finishes for plain concrete driveways paths etc. Brushed This is probably the simplest finish if you are going to do some concreting yourself. You compact the concrete and ‘strike it off with a straight…
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Different Driveway
I see a fair bit of discussion in forums about whether to go for a plain concrete driveway of the additional expanse of an exposed aggregate surface. While I was in Japan last year I saw this concrete driveway which…
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Driveway Slope
If your vehicle is a specially adapted off-roader like this Land Rover then driveway slope is not going to be an issue. For the rest of us it is something you should be aware of. If you have lowered your…
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Concrete – Ready Mix or DIY?
If you have got a concreting job to do there are a few different options for getting the mix: Small Jobs Up to about 0.1m3 buy premixed bags 20kg bags ( 0.01m3) from a DIY store. Not cheap at a…
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Concrete – Importance of Vibration
Have you ever seen concrete that looks like this on a vertical face? Its called ‘Honey combed’ Sometimes its in large areas like this, sometimes in smaller patches. This concrete is obviously weaker and more porous than dense concrete. The…
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Reinforcement In Slabs
I regularly hear the question “Where should the reinforcement mesh go in slabs?” Well here is some advice. . . . Understanding The Materials Concrete – Strong in Compression, but weak in Tension. Steel Reinforcement– Strong in Tension, and strong in…
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