Thickness Of A Concrete Driveway
If you are thinking of having a concrete driveway, there are several important factors you need to consider in order to get it just right. There are several things that play an important role in the overall stability and strength of a concrete driveway. Many people think that the only factor that affects the strength of a concrete driveway is its thickness.
While it’s true that the thickness of concrete driveway plays an important role in its overall strength but you also need to understand that the thickness of a concrete driveway depends on the underlying soil as well as the kind of traffic expected on the driveway. For instance, a residential driveway will usually have everyday passenger vehicles driven on it which means it does not need to be too thick but you need to have a thicker driveway in case large commercial vehicles such as delivery trucks or trash collecting trucks will be driving on the driveway on a regular basis. If your thinking about getting a driveway installed we can recommend Exposed Aggregate Driveways Melbourne .
You can increase the strength of a concrete driveway by increasing the thickness but it will cost you a lot more and it’s an avoidable expense if you do not need that much thickness. On the other hand, if you get a driveway that is thinner than needed, it will give away quickly and you will have to spend far more money on relaying the driveway. Keep in mind that heavy vehicles cause severe damage over time.
The best way to figure out the right concrete thickness for the driveway is to hire the services of a soils engineer in order to find out the type of soil and to create a concrete pavement design for that particular soil type. However, hiring the services of a soils engineer can be expensive, especially if you plan to use it only for everyday passenger vehicles. Even then there is no guarantee that it will stand the test of time if it’s not built by a reputable contractor. Therefore, the right thing to do in order to get a high strength concrete driveway that will stand the test of time is to hire the services of an experienced concrete contractor who understands the basics and is knowledgeable about concrete.
Many consumers have been ripped off by fly by night concrete contractors who do not have the necessary knowledge to lay down the perfect concrete driveway. As far as the typical thickness for a concrete driveway is concerned, experts recommend 4 inches thick concrete driveway with wire reinforcement for residential purposes. In case you plan to use the driveway for commercial use, the driveway should at least be 6 inches thick with #3 bar reinforcement. For industrial use, a minimum 6 inches of thickness is recommended with #4 bar reinforcement. As far as the final thickness is concerned, it will depend on the wheel load, reinforcement size as well as spacing.
Overall, the best way to make sure that your concrete driveway is thick enough to stand the test of time is to hire the services of an experienced concrete contractor who has laid several such driveways over the years in your locality and is known for delivering high-quality products.