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.
I can’t achieve the 10 cm (4 inches) thickness. A maximum of 7 cm (3 inches) is possible because 50 percent of the base of the pathway is concrete, as there is a basement room underneath.
Do I need to install expansion joints at certain intervals?
Can I really mix “standard” concrete myself here, or do I need special waterproof concrete (WU concrete) to prevent moisture penetration, since as mentioned, 50 percent of it is above a basement?
Do I need to treat the surface afterward to protect it permanently and to prevent efflorescence?
Unfortunately, I couldn’t find any information about this online.
Do I need to install expansion joints at certain intervals?
Can I really mix “standard” concrete myself here, or do I need special waterproof concrete (WU concrete) to prevent moisture penetration, since as mentioned, 50 percent of it is above a basement?
Do I need to treat the surface afterward to protect it permanently and to prevent efflorescence?
Unfortunately, I couldn’t find any information about this online.
O
Osnabruecker25 May 2020 21:02For exposed concrete, the key term is "resistant to frost de-icing salts." Otherwise, the surface will deteriorate over time during winter. Joints also require regular maintenance.
A thickness of 7 cm (2.75 inches) is not sufficient. Reinforcement won’t help either, due to the minimum concrete cover requirement.
You should consider concrete slabs, as you initially planned.
A thickness of 7 cm (2.75 inches) is not sufficient. Reinforcement won’t help either, due to the minimum concrete cover requirement.
You should consider concrete slabs, as you initially planned.
H
hampshire25 May 2020 21:36What does the structural analysis say about the basement ceiling?
I haven’t really considered the structural stability of the basement ceiling yet. I wasn’t too worried about anything going wrong there.
Hmm, if there will be problems at 7cm (2.8 inches), I wonder how manufacturers manage to produce large panels with a thickness of 4cm (1.6 inches) that still hold up. That’s why I thought it would work without any issues.
And without reinforcement? Panels from hardware stores or building suppliers don’t contain any steel reinforcement either.
Hmm, if there will be problems at 7cm (2.8 inches), I wonder how manufacturers manage to produce large panels with a thickness of 4cm (1.6 inches) that still hold up. That’s why I thought it would work without any issues.
And without reinforcement? Panels from hardware stores or building suppliers don’t contain any steel reinforcement either.
O
Osnabruecker26 May 2020 06:19Panels from the building supply store are precast elements made with very high-quality concrete, produced almost under laboratory conditions.
For example, you could never manufacture a hollow-core slab like that directly on site.
Can’t you increase the thickness by building “upwards”? A typical gravel bed is 3-5cm (1-2 inches) thick. That doesn’t leave much thickness for the panels themselves. I wouldn’t park a car on it…
For example, you could never manufacture a hollow-core slab like that directly on site.
Can’t you increase the thickness by building “upwards”? A typical gravel bed is 3-5cm (1-2 inches) thick. That doesn’t leave much thickness for the panels themselves. I wouldn’t park a car on it…
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