Concrete driveway construction is becoming more popular than bitumen, asphalt, or other paver materials. concrete contractor Knoxville tn often referred to as cement driveways , offer a variety of decorative options which make these driveways unique from other methods of driveway construction. This article will briefly explain the specifications for the construction of concrete driveways.

Concrete Garage development

The construction of a concrete driveway must be properly managed by the person in charge of the construction, in order to obtain the desired finish, quality and longevity. Concrete driveway performance and aesthetics are determined by the quality of the work as well as the materials employed. A proper concrete driveway construction is based on the following guidelines.

Suitable Subgrade Planning

The subgrade needs to be prepared in order to ensure consistency in soil composition as well as the level of compaction. Achieving this requirement helps to ensure adequate support for the loads coming over the driveway.

Selecting the Right Concrete Mix

ASTM C-94 suggests the use of ready-mix concrete for driveways made of concrete since they offer a uniform concrete mix. A properly mixed concrete mix will prevent random cracking.

Reinforcement

The majority of light-duty driveways are constructed of concrete plain. In order to increase the strength of the driveway, concrete as well as reinforced concrete contractors Knoxville tn can be employed. For areas with heavy traffic the reinforced concrete driveway is the ideal option. Cracks are still able to occur due to reinforcement. The reinforcement doesn't stop cracks from developing. But the rebars hold the cracks in place and stop the spread of cracks. Concrete driveway reinforcement may be orally in the form of a wire mesh or a grid pattern. To ensure that you can position the reinforcement in the middle of the driveway, blocks could be placed beneath the rebars for support. Because they stop shrinkage cracks from extending to large lengths, synthetic fibers are getting more popular. They aren't used for structural reinforcement , but instead as a secondary reinforcement in conjunction with main steel reinforcement.

Concrete Placement

The structural strength of a concrete driveway is greatly influenced by the amount of concrete used. The minimum thickness recommended for a concrete driveway is 4 inches. An increase in structural capacity of 4 to 5 inches will increase the capacity by 50%. The amount is by the specifications and requirements for the driveway.

Properly finishing concrete driveways

Careful consideration should be taken when completing the concrete driveway. The majority of the work is ruined because of overworking the surface, or by executing operations on top of bleeding water.

Properly positioned joints

Control joints that are placed at an adequate spacing helps to avoid cracks that can occur randomly. The spacing mainly provided is 10 feet for concrete driveway with 4 inches of thickness. Cracks that are random are not considered to be structural problems. It can impact the aesthetics of your driveway.

Avoiding joint patterns with triangular or rectangular sections will stop random cracks. The control joints should be 1/4th of the thickness of your driveway slab. It is important to have isolated joints wherever the driveway connects with other pavements or garage floor slabs. Be sure to design the joints before starting the driveway construction.

Adequate Drainage Facility

A properly designed drainage plan for concrete driveways helps to prevent standing water from entering the driveway. Drainage for concrete driveways could be achieved through:

Concrete driveways that slope towards the streets. The side that faces the existing structures should be located at an elevated altitude.

If sloping is not possible the drain should be installed at a low part of the concrete driveway. The water then is diverted away.

Proper Curing

The process of curing is frequently neglected in the majority of concrete contractor Knoxville tn driveways. Curing is equally crucial as the other steps previously mentioned. After finishing, it is important to cure the surface right away.