"The" project begins next week...

Dargo · Mar 3, 2007

I finally broke down and contracted with a company to concrete the remainder of my driveway, build a new bridge, and add an additional concrete drive to the rear entrance to my barn as well as go ahead and pour the floor behind my barn where I'm going to add on this summer. I figured I'd go ahead and bite the bullet and just get all the concrete work out of the way all at one time.

Weather permitting, they will be starting late next week. I'm curious to see the concrete pumper truck they have that can reach 160'. I'm doing the main part of my driveway 12' wide, 6" thick, 5000 psi concrete, #5 rebar reinforcement (thicker stuff), and my bridge decking being all #8 rebar reinforced with 12" of 5000 psi concrete. It looks like from the calculations that I'll use about 315 yards of concrete total. The company I'm using says that unless there are weather delays, they should be able to do the job in four days. If anyone is curious I can post some pictures of the progress as I am able (I won't be there the entire time they are working).

I know I need to call and stop mail delivery back to my house, UPS, and FedEx. Anybody else? I need to get permission to park at a neighboring church for about ten days while this is being done. Since I have to cross a creek, I also need to setup some sort of temporary bridge to walk across. Hmm, the span is around 20'. That could create an issue. I wonder if the wife would mind if I bought the whole family some hip waders?

Anything else I need to consider before this starts?

bczoom · Mar 3, 2007

We absolutely want pics!!!!

Block off the driveway entrance to make sure nobody comes in. This includes meter readers and such.

For the bridge, I have a similar creek to cross. I just made a frame with a few 2x8's to cover the span then covered with plywood. If you put 1 end under your bucket then wrap a chain under the bridge and hook back to the top of the bucket, it can be carried and set in place easily (although it sticks out 16' in front of the tractor). Since yours is temporary, I'd use screws for assembly so it'll come apart easy and the lumber can be re-used.

Oh, and make sure the kids get their handprints in it. Instead of scribing the year installed next to their prints, we just embedded a quarter with the correct year.

Dargo · Mar 3, 2007

Now I just have this feeling of "holy crap, what have I done?!". Since we had a car demolished on our vacation from hell, I'm looking in my garage at the new Acura I bought and now looking at this driveway expense and I'm getting this sinking feeling. :hide:

I know what I need right now... :1062:

bczoom · Mar 3, 2007

It's only money.

My driveway is concrete as well and it is sooooo much nicer then stone. You'll obviously really like it when you're done.

Dargo · Mar 9, 2007

Well, things have started. I am taking tons of pics as this goes. I'll post more later.

Dargo · Mar 9, 2007

The 8th concrete truck is now pouring it's load into the pumper truck and then it's lunch time. Based on calculations, there is only 31 more trucks to go to finish since each truck is running with about 9 yards per truck (since they have to cross my bridge).

Hmm, maybe I went a little big on this project...

Melensdad · Mar 9, 2007

Got to love those big pumper trucks!!!

bczoom · Mar 9, 2007

Dargo said:
The 8th concrete truck is now pouring it's load into the pumper truck and then it's lunch time.

Only 8 trucks before lunch??? Slackers..

Dargo said:
since each truck is running with about 9 yards per truck (since they have to cross my bridge).

I though 9 yards was pretty much a full truck. I thought most were 10-yard trucks but they normally don't max it out.

Dargo said:
Hmm, maybe I went a little big on this project...

NEVER!!! You're going to love it when you're done.

Doc · Mar 9, 2007

Yep, what BC said, your going to love it when it's done. And it would only be more expensive to do later, since costs normally go up.
Good Pics! Keep em coming as you can.

Glenn9643 · Mar 9, 2007

I think I recognized Sam, Joe, and Dan but didn't see anything of Jose or Juan...
I thought I'd read somewhere that Americans wouldn't do that type of work anymore!
You'll really enjoy all the concrete after you get the cost out of your mind.

Dargo · Mar 9, 2007

I'll get a few more pics before dark of "day one". This was actually the hardest part, i.e. slowest part, other than the bridge. The workers did not like cutting the 3/8" wire I used. It's more expensive to go with rebar wire, but it ought to be strong. You can see in that one pic that it is just little rebar made into big mats. I think they got almost 85 yards down today.

Dargo · Mar 10, 2007

Okay, I got more pics, but after spending 8 hours with the power washer cleaning my existing concrete, and after yesterday, I'm too sore to plug the USB cable in to upload pics now... :smileywac

Dargo · Mar 10, 2007

Uh, oh! Now I have a big dilemma. I'd planned on sealing the new concrete on my driveway before it got any stains on it. However, after buying the first batch of sealant, I have a problem. With a 5 gallon can of sealant covering an average of 150 square feet, and the driveway consisting of roughly 14,400 square feet, can you figure how many 5 gallon cans I need to do the entire job?! :smileywac

It's already a huge job (at least for me) and I don't think I am quite prepared to spend another $7500 in materials to seal the driveway. I'm thinking on just sealing the part where I know vehicles will be parked and where I know there will be a lot of sharp turns and tires turned with vehicles sitting still. Think I'm making a mistake by only doing that part?

Also, I've changed the deck of the bridge to be 14" thick with 8" high curbs on each side. I'm also debating on actually making the drive wider, from 12' to 14', on the bridge part. Any thoughts on that? I'm going to weld up the rebar cage that will be inside the 14" thick bridge and I think I'll also include sheets of that thick rebar wire as well. I don't plan to ever have to re-do this drive, so I want to get it right the first time. The contractor thinks I'll be plenty fine going that way with the 5000 psi concrete mix I'm using. I'm not using any fiber in the concrete. I think my heavy wire and rebar should be fine. Thoughts?

Melensdad · Mar 10, 2007

First, I think we need A LOT MORE PICTURES.

Second, I would only seal it in the parking & turn around areas.

BigAl · Mar 10, 2007

Dargo said:
Also, I've changed the deck of the bridge to be 14" thick with 8" high curbs on each side. I'm also debating on actually making the drive wider, from 12' to 14', on the bridge part. Any thoughts on that? I'm going to weld up the rebar cage that will be inside the 14" thick bridge and I think I'll also include sheets of that thick rebar wire as well. I don't plan to ever have to re-do this drive, so I want to get it right the first time. The contractor thinks I'll be plenty fine going that way with the 5000 psi concrete mix I'm using. I'm not using any fiber in the concrete. I think my heavy wire and rebar should be fine. Thoughts?

The 12' width should be fine . 14' is not enough for two cars to pass ,so what are you gaining ??? A standard highway lane is 12 wide . How do you do on them ?? If you feel the need to go wider now is the time !!!
5000 PSI concrete is a really strong mix ! With the thickness you are pouring and the rebar ,you should be fine .

"Bonny fibers" don't impress me and makes the concrete look like it needs a shave !!!All these little hairs sticking up .

I have poured 1000's apon 1000's of yards of concrete and very few, including commerial or state jobs ever had spec's as tough as yours . A sealer helps the curing rate more than anything else . We were required to spray a sealer on commerial jobs . Keeping the concrete moist or wet will also help it cure slowly too . After it sets up, you should spinkler water on it twice a day . Concrete generates heat and this causes cracks . No contractor can warranty concrete won't crack . Its the rebar that keeps it together and strong .
That why you see the rugs on concrete bridges . They are kept wet for 28 days and then the rugs and temporary supports are removed . Concrete gains about 85- 90 percent of its strength in 28 days .
Hope this helps .
Allen

Dargo · Mar 11, 2007

Thanks Bob and Al. Al, do you think it's worth the extra $250 to go to 14" thick on the bridge deck over 12" thick? I can never go back and add 2" later. Also, I agree, I don't see a real need to go wider than 12' at the bridge. But do you think I need to go higher than 8" on the side curbs there?

Dargo · Mar 11, 2007

I just noticed that I didn't post any of the "day before" pictures. Here are some pics of how the area looked the day before all started.

Dargo · Mar 11, 2007

Here are some pics of the pour area around the north and east side of my barn. Basically, this gets me to my rear door to the barn (which will be raised 18" so my tractor will make it through the door - yeah, oops) and also includes the area on the back of my barn where I'm going to add a 15' X 80' area that will be covered with a roof, but no sides; sort of a carport type area where my trailer and some other implements will be stored.

*edit*

The direction of the broom finish looks the color look different at the break from where the drive goes east compared to where it goes north. It is a monolithic (sp?) pour; all together, so the different color is an illusion with the early morning light. The concrete color all matches.

Melensdad · Mar 11, 2007

Where are the photos of the kid's footprints and their names carved into the wet concrete?

Dargo · Mar 11, 2007

Some other areas...

Dargo · Mar 11, 2007

B_Skurka said:
Where are the photos of the kid's footprints and their names carved into the wet concrete?

If you notice where the new pour has a squared off area and doesn't go all the way to the existing pour, that is where that will go. The area I'm talking about will take quite a load on the transition and will be poured 10" thick with heavy rebar. I'm going to have the kids put their hands there. When I built my house I only had two kids. Their prints are in the corner of my garage floor. At the time, my son thought it was cool. My oldest daughter was only about a year old. She didn't understant what I wanted her to do. So I picked her up and acted like I was going to put her down on her head there. Out of reflex, she put out both hands in the wet concrete; perfectly executing both hand prints in the concrete.

Monday morning will begin the driveway pour and officially cut me off from getting to my house with my vehicles for the next couple of weeks. They hope to get poured to the bridge and get the bridge formed up on Monday. It will be a lot to do, but they had a reasonably large crew and worked 12 hours on Friday. I'll get pics of that area as it progresses.

XeVfTEUtaAqJHTqq · Mar 11, 2007

Dargo said:
If you notice where the new pour has a squared off area and doesn't go all the way to the existing pour, that is where that will go. The area I'm talking about will take quite a load on the transition and will be poured 10" thick with heavy rebar. I'm going to have the kids put their hands there. When I built my house I only had two kids. Their prints are in the corner of my garage floor. At the time, my son thought it was cool. My oldest daughter was only about a year old. She didn't understant what I wanted her to do. So I picked her up and acted like I was going to put her down on her head there. Out of reflex, she put out both hands in the wet concrete; perfectly executing both hand prints in the concrete.

Don't forget Bruno and Dargo! I always get the dogs to make some prints too! Kind of like those stamped leaf patterns you see on sidewalks.

Dargo · Mar 11, 2007

Oh, this picture shows the marks I can't get off for now from where I was ticked off from a diesel accident in the barn and mashed the throttle on my Cummins Powered dually a bit hard when leaving to get a pallet of floor dry. I suppose it's not too often you see 4 big black marks from where a dual wheeled vehicle lit the rears up in smoke when taking off. :tiphat:

Hopefully they'll wear off before too long. I tried to power wash them off, but you can see it didn't work.

*edit*

You can see that little piece that's missing in this picture. That is where I plan to put in the kid's prints.

Dargo · Mar 11, 2007

PBinWA said:
Don't forget Bruno and Dargo! I always get the dogs to make some prints too! Kind of like those stamped leaf patterns you see on sidewalks.

They supervised for a while, but were good boys and did not join the crew in the concrete.

mak2 · Mar 11, 2007

I bought a Repro house late last year. I have several projects and the driveway is one. My driveway is not quite as big a project but close. Could you just kinda ball park me an idea of the total cost? Was you kidding about the $7500.00 in sealant? My drive is now busted up asphalt and I would really like to change to concrete.

ddrane2115 · Mar 11, 2007

ok now I want to do my barn floor and the area around my barn, since it is sort of a water collection point that I want to fix with a grade to the drain pipe on one side of the barn.........Nice job there!

Dargo · Mar 11, 2007

mak2 said:
Could you just kinda ball park me an idea of the total cost? Was you kidding about the $7500.00 in sealant? My drive is now busted up asphalt and I would really like to change to concrete.

If you only go 4" thick with 3500 psi concrete with regular wire the cost would be considerably less. Even with the way I am doing it, I could have come in under 50k if I didn't have to do a bridge.

Unfortuantely, based on the sq. footage each 5 gallon can says it covers and the sq. footage I will have total, yes, it would cost around $7500 in materials to seal the entire driveway. Um, I'm not going to do it all. I have 15 gallons down so far today and will do about 15 more gallons before I call it a day.

Dargo · Mar 11, 2007

Oh yeah, it was funny to see Matt, the owner of the company (he's the guy on the right) doing the concrete work, get into it with a driver who brought a batch of concrete that wasn't to Matt's liking. You can tell by the pic here that Matt isn't too small. The concrete driver decided to stay in his truck and then leave.

bczoom · Mar 11, 2007

Dargo said:
You can tell by the pic here that Matt isn't too small.

I left both my "secret decoder ring" and "x-ray glasses" upstairs.
Can you post a little bigger picture as I can't even see the other one.

EDIT: Never mind... I see you edited the post and included the pic.

Melensdad · Mar 11, 2007

Dargo, just curious but why concrete instead of asphalt? I'm looking at putting in a drive to my workshop and never even considered concrete. I do have a concrete pad in front of the doors, but really never considered using it for the driveway. I guess I like the look of asphalt too? It seems to blend into the surroundings better (at least to my eye). It also costs less, and while it is less durable, if a proper base is set down under it, it can last for decades with modest care.

"The" project begins next week...

Like a bad penny...

Super Moderator

Like a bad penny...

Super Moderator

Like a bad penny...

Attachments

Like a bad penny...

Attachments

Jerk in a Hawaiian Shirt & SNOWCAT Moderator

Super Moderator

Bottoms Up

Bronze Member

Like a bad penny...

Like a bad penny...

Like a bad penny...

Jerk in a Hawaiian Shirt & SNOWCAT Moderator

Gone But Not Forgotten

Like a bad penny...

Like a bad penny...

Attachments

Like a bad penny...

Attachments

Jerk in a Hawaiian Shirt & SNOWCAT Moderator

Like a bad penny...

Attachments

Like a bad penny...

Master of Distraction

Like a bad penny...

Attachments

Like a bad penny...

Attachments

Active member

Charter Member

Like a bad penny...

Like a bad penny...

Attachments

Super Moderator

Jerk in a Hawaiian Shirt & SNOWCAT Moderator