Hello everyone,
we are currently looking for a surface material to use as a walkway to our front door and for a small parking space in front of the house.
The walkway to the house is 1.4 m (5 feet) wide and 11 m (36 feet) long. The parking space is 3 x 5 m (10 x 16 feet).
For both the parking space and the walkway, I would prefer not to install the surface over a gravel bed, but to cast it in concrete. The reason is that we did not like the appearance of most paving options because of their dimensions. By using concrete, we can use porcelain stoneware tiles with a thickness of 2 or 4 cm (0.8 or 1.6 inches) for both the walkway and the parking space.
However, the options we find visually appealing cost around 60-80 euros per m², which is actually too expensive for us since we have other projects around the house as well.
Since we want the slabs to be as large as possible and an exposed concrete look would be ideal, I thought about simply concreting the walkway and parking space myself. That means I could build formwork for the edges and then, depending on the desired look, create a small, narrow joint inside the formwork to simulate a tiled surface, for example, making the slabs 1.4 m (5 feet) long and 1 or 1.5 m (3 or 5 feet) wide to minimize the number of joints.
If you search “concrete walkway” on Google and look at images, you can already find the desired results.
Now to my question: is this even possible and durable, or will the slabs crack over time?
Is there a minimum thickness I should consider, and do I need reinforcement within the individual elements?
Thanks for your help.
we are currently looking for a surface material to use as a walkway to our front door and for a small parking space in front of the house.
The walkway to the house is 1.4 m (5 feet) wide and 11 m (36 feet) long. The parking space is 3 x 5 m (10 x 16 feet).
For both the parking space and the walkway, I would prefer not to install the surface over a gravel bed, but to cast it in concrete. The reason is that we did not like the appearance of most paving options because of their dimensions. By using concrete, we can use porcelain stoneware tiles with a thickness of 2 or 4 cm (0.8 or 1.6 inches) for both the walkway and the parking space.
However, the options we find visually appealing cost around 60-80 euros per m², which is actually too expensive for us since we have other projects around the house as well.
Since we want the slabs to be as large as possible and an exposed concrete look would be ideal, I thought about simply concreting the walkway and parking space myself. That means I could build formwork for the edges and then, depending on the desired look, create a small, narrow joint inside the formwork to simulate a tiled surface, for example, making the slabs 1.4 m (5 feet) long and 1 or 1.5 m (3 or 5 feet) wide to minimize the number of joints.
If you search “concrete walkway” on Google and look at images, you can already find the desired results.
Now to my question: is this even possible and durable, or will the slabs crack over time?
Is there a minimum thickness I should consider, and do I need reinforcement within the individual elements?
Thanks for your help.
O
Osnabruecker25 May 2020 06:40Entire highways are built from concrete, and they last longer than asphalt.
So it’s not an issue for sidewalks.
You just need to have the proper expertise.
Contact a professional road construction company. Providing a detailed lecture on material science, joint design, and surface properties would be beyond the scope of this forum.
So it’s not an issue for sidewalks.
You just need to have the proper expertise.
Contact a professional road construction company. Providing a detailed lecture on material science, joint design, and surface properties would be beyond the scope of this forum.
At least it's a start.
Since I prefer to do it myself and not hire a company—otherwise, I end up in a price range where I could just install the 70 euro per m² panels myself—it would be helpful to find some kind of online guide, tips, or other information about what to watch out for.
Minimum thickness, concrete properties (waterproof concrete was considered), reinforcement yes or no, etc.
Are there any relevant websites about this?
Unfortunately, I haven’t found anything so far.
Since I prefer to do it myself and not hire a company—otherwise, I end up in a price range where I could just install the 70 euro per m² panels myself—it would be helpful to find some kind of online guide, tips, or other information about what to watch out for.
Minimum thickness, concrete properties (waterproof concrete was considered), reinforcement yes or no, etc.
Are there any relevant websites about this?
Unfortunately, I haven’t found anything so far.
@HAL06120
Thanks for the information. This is basically exactly what I was looking for. However, I don’t yet have a suitable base, and the ground would need to be raised by about 7cm (3 inches) anyway, meaning I would have to apply a 7cm (3 inch) thick concrete layer first before I could continue working on the surface with the products.
Therefore, my idea is to use the poured concrete directly as the surface and incorporate visual joints so it looks like large concrete slabs have been installed.
Thanks for the information. This is basically exactly what I was looking for. However, I don’t yet have a suitable base, and the ground would need to be raised by about 7cm (3 inches) anyway, meaning I would have to apply a 7cm (3 inch) thick concrete layer first before I could continue working on the surface with the products.
Therefore, my idea is to use the poured concrete directly as the surface and incorporate visual joints so it looks like large concrete slabs have been installed.
Hello abc
I would recommend a base build-up for you. Excavate 20cm (8 inches), then add 10cm (4 inches) of recycled crushed limestone, and compact it well.
I would suggest at least 10cm (4 inches) of concrete. Include a reinforcement mesh.
You want to pour about 30m² (320 sq ft) of concrete, which is at least 3m³ (4 yd³). Mixing it yourself can be quite laborious. However, ready-mix concrete for this volume comes with a significant minimum order fee. You’ll quickly be looking at around 700-800 euros.
Do this with three or four people in two stages: one for the path, one for the parking area. Materials will cost around 300-400 euros.
Smoothing the surface and adding control joints is not that simple. Try it out on the path first. I think it will be challenging.
But definitely include steel reinforcement.
Steven
I would recommend a base build-up for you. Excavate 20cm (8 inches), then add 10cm (4 inches) of recycled crushed limestone, and compact it well.
I would suggest at least 10cm (4 inches) of concrete. Include a reinforcement mesh.
You want to pour about 30m² (320 sq ft) of concrete, which is at least 3m³ (4 yd³). Mixing it yourself can be quite laborious. However, ready-mix concrete for this volume comes with a significant minimum order fee. You’ll quickly be looking at around 700-800 euros.
Do this with three or four people in two stages: one for the path, one for the parking area. Materials will cost around 300-400 euros.
Smoothing the surface and adding control joints is not that simple. Try it out on the path first. I think it will be challenging.
But definitely include steel reinforcement.
Steven
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