OT Cement thickness and specs for driveway?

I have a chance to get my driveway paved for free to my specs. This will have to support tractor traffic and some school buses and heavy trucks. What should I specify for base, thickness, reinforcement, mix, expansion joints etc. I want concrete not asphalt.
Thanks
Phil

4,000 psi. 6" reinforced or 8' unreinforced would be best, I think.

My shop floor is 8 inch, reinforced with rebar. Hard packed clay for a base. I would expect a driveway should be at least the same.

You must of been good this year for Santa ?

I was once told the state of Illinois used a 6 bag mix for 6" concrete on state roads. That's is over a properly worked base however that is stabilized and packed. Personally I would want reinforced 6" just in case

Forgot to add you must have expansion joints to control cracking. A single slab will crack over time. Also make the shoulders like a curb. A broom finish could help with ice too. Its your call

GOOD LUCK!!!!!

If you do not have a gravel driveway now then I would have the dirt excavated off, 6in down, then 3" fill sand, then crushed stone, limestone is best, then pour concrete over that, 5" thick if it is free for you. (how did you swing that deal?)

6 inches of 3000# concrete--air entrained if you have freezing temps in the winter--#5 bars at 18 inches oc or #4 bars at at 12 inches oc. 2 inches from top of slab, 6 inches of a well 100% compacted granular base---contraction joints every 30 ft and expansion joints at 90 ft
moist cure and proper temp for 7 days.
type 2 cement is best for eastern soils (sulfate resistant)

I am certain ever post below would work and be fine. Now I have a steep 800 ft drive way.. Had limestone on it for several years but it had to be graded and limestone added after big rains. So had a real good base. Poured 3000 lb concrete with NO rebar and cut the joints ever 50 ft. All this was 8 years ago BEFORE the house was built. Used a set in basement so the trucks coming in were over 100,000 lb gross. Have been in and out with dozers, heavy loads of grain and lots of heavy loads and some cold winters. To this date no cracking looks like the day we put it down.. Just my experience and as the others say if you are getting it free spec it for the over kill.

(quoted from post at 11:44:44 12/10/14) I have a chance to get my driveway paved for free to my specs. This will have to support tractor traffic and some school buses and heavy trucks. What should I specify for base, thickness, reinforcement, mix, expansion joints etc. I want concrete not asphalt.
Thanks
Phil

Click to expand...

If your getting this done for free, go pay a local engineer to give you specs. NOBODY on here knows your soil type, texture, permeability, and if your soil is expansive or not. Good concrete starts with a good base. Grade and drainage are important as well and again, no one here can see that. You have one chance to do it right make the most of it.

My sheds are 8 inches. I parked my school buses in them for years and had no issues. In one shed I hed to extend the back and parked the steer tires of the bus within two inches of the edge. No issues.

Wouldn't go less than 6 inches thick.

I agree with the 6 inch rule, and a compacted base. I have a "hard knock" story on my own driveway. Never use epoxy coated rods for "slab on grade". (Epoxy rods have a green plastic coating, used for elevated slabs like bridge decks and post tension parking garages.) I got a whole trailer load for free at work. Also, an absolute rule of thumb for rebar is 2x coverage of the bar diameter. I had #6 bars (3/4) so I needed at least 1 1/2 coverage. I did not get that in a lot of areas. Even though I used a 6 bag mix, I have a hairline crack over every rod. I would have been better off with no rods at all. At the very least, I should have used a heavy mesh wire.

(quoted from post at 16:02:06 12/10/14)

(quoted from post at 11:44:44 12/10/14) I have a chance to get my driveway paved for free to my specs. This will have to support tractor traffic and some school buses and heavy trucks. What should I specify for base, thickness, reinforcement, mix, expansion joints etc. I want concrete not asphalt.
Thanks
Phil

Click to expand...

If your getting this done for free, go pay a local engineer to give you specs. NOBODY on here knows your soil type, texture, permeability, and if your soil is expansive or not. Good concrete starts with a good base. Grade and drainage are important as well and again, no one here can see that. You have one chance to do it right make the most of it.

Click to expand...

I'm with '36F30' the only thing I would add is to use fiber in the mix if you want strength; and it is much cheaper than rebar. Fiber is kind of a new technology in the concrete world (last 10 or 15 years or so) They clam that is is stronger than steal and it does give a lot of strength to concrete. I drove concrete trucks for over 10 years and worked with concrete for over 20 years. I found the fiber (now micro-fiber) is so inexpensive I used it in footers, grout and mortar mixes. Now if I think concrete I think fiber, but I also still use rebar and/or wire.
I would try to refrain from using any calcium because it diminishes the tinsel strength considerably. As for air entrainment I would ask the dispatcher how much to use. They will know the idiosyncrasies of the mix and the area, like water and soil pH and what they are using No. 1 or No.2 cement, and what type of cement they are using (Portland). This can change the amount of air entrainment you will need or if you need to use it at all. When your are mixing 4 1/2 oz. to 8 yards of mix a 1/2 oz. can make or break ya (don't excuse the pun). Air entrainment makes micro bubbles in the mix which expands the amount of mix but after a certain point the concrete becomes soft.
Also think of the future... are you going to bring any tracked rigs inside the shop on the slab? If you think you might I would put rail road rails (steal) in the slab where the tracks will travel. Leaving the rails slightly exposed so the tracks wont destroy the slab.