Well im from california and I’ve done a few driveways in my time , I think the cold and frost affects the mix of course. I normally mix all my jobs by hand it just better for me that way. I have ordered a few trucks as well for larger jobs but I use lime and additives in my mix with fiber reinforcement, one part portland plastic cement two parts sand and one part corse gravel for the driveways and sidewalks. I go thicker than 4 inches generally, from 6 to 8 on the driveways more for motorhomes and heavy loads, in a colder climate im sure the thickness is greater. Compaction is very important as well to insure a quality job.
For best results, please consult with a local civil engineer to provide you with the best design details and loads based on the driveway use with wire mesh to minimize cracks.
Bob Laskowski here from Lasko Contractors in New Jersey (we get an average of 6 feet of snow every year) and one of the things we do here that saves the concrete driveways for years is a sealer to help prevent salt eroding the concrete floor. something like SealGreen Siliconate Concrete Sealer with Salt Defense is a typical sealer that you should ask your contractor to lay down after the concrete dries. As for the concrete, your contractor will be able to give you the specifics but most concrete trucks with a typical mix will do the trick on most driveways, of course everything depends on size, thickness, ground type, and other existing variables to take into consideration.
Hello, this is Mike with R.S. Widdoes & Son, in Wilmington, DE. We have been successfully installing concrete driveways for over 35 years. Here is what I would recommend based on my experience: Use a 4000psi concrete mix with air entrainment. Air entrainment is critical for a climate such as Colorado. Air entrainment allows for expansion and contraction of water in concrete when it freezes and thaws. Air entrainment should be around 6 percent. A normal driveway should contain at least 6 x 6 10 gauge steel wire for reinforcement. Sometimes you may want to use a thicker gauge such as 8 or 6. Some contractors like fiber (small hairs mixed in the concrete) if you use fiber, I would recommend 1.5 lbs per yard. The thickness of the concrete should be at least 5 inches with 6 inches in the apron. Other important things to remember: concrete needs to be placed on a compacted stone base; at least the same thickness as the driveway, in softer soils or wet areas more stone is required. Expansion and control joints are also very important; they allow for movement in freeze/thaw climates. Different types of material are available expansion joints; such as rubber, fiber, cork and foam. I recommend using rubber (reflex) with spacing every 8 to 10 feet. Lastly, a sealer is a good idea, I like Deck-O-Shield from W. R. Meadows. I hope this helps answers your question.
My answer.
At DeFranco cement contractors the concrete mix we use is air entrained 4000 pound mix with 3/4 inch stones. For reinforcement we use 5x10 foot highway steel matt for basic residential application.
Hi I’m Ryan from Krafty-Builds Contracting Services located in Pittsburgh. A couple basic things here just to add my 2 cents, and not make a concrete driveway into something overly complicated because it is not. Watch the temperature, do not pour the new concrete is the temp is under 45 degrees. The concrete will not set up right and will crack much easier within the first year. A driveway is holding the weight of a car, so it is important to have a solid base (this is perhaps the most important part). If the base is not solid the it makes no difference how thick the concrete is pour or how good the finish is because it will sink and crack. You want at least a 2-3 inch gravel base and tamp it, then tamp it again and then tamp it again!!! I cannot stress the importance of tamping the base enough. Another important aspect is where to place rebar and where to place steel wire mesh, two very different things. If you have a garage floor or any existing concrete that the new driveway will be poured up against, then drill holes into the exiting concrete with a 1/2" hammer drill bit and stick 12" pieces of 1/2" rebar into the holes to tie the two concrete slabs together. Use wire throughout the middle and rebar again at the top of the driveway where it meets the street. Use rebar in the areas that support more weight.
I recommend a 4000 psi with air entrainment (6-8%) and all natural sand (which will give the color a more brownish color once it starts to wear. We use a straight cement mix in all of our work with no fly ash, which is what used to be called a 6 and a half sack/bag mix. It will hold up better through the freeze/thaw cycles. I also recommend placing #3 rebar 24" on center each way in a grid pattern. This will minimize cracking and seperation if you do get a crack and compact the stone under the driveway prior to placement. Also, drill and place dowels or the ends of the rebar that you tie into the slab at the same spacing.