All About Slabs Concrete

mini excavator digging soil in backyard for pool slab

A concrete slab driveway is a type of an ground slab. We use specialised form work for concreting a drive. Our form work covers long spans which is important for driveway work.

Form work can be rigid timber or made from flexible plastic. Form work for a driveway is usually placed on the outside perimeter. The form work for a driveway slab is supported by the ground it rests on.

We tend to use hardwood timber pegs to hold the formwork in place for concrete pouring. Timber pegs are hammered into the ground. This is important as it keeps form work rigid, level and in place during a drive pour.

The steel collar on timber pegs that you may have seen on construction sites is to increase the strength and durability of the peg. Metal collars also reduce the chance of timber pegs splitting and helps maintain the square shape of the peg.

For slabs concrete, we can also use other anchoring devices to keep form work edge boards in position. Steel form work pins are used in such places where there is minimal space to hammer and secure form work in place. Star pickets can also be used in the same way.

There are instances where slabs concrete does not require form work at all. A semi in ground pool slab is an example where we do not need to place form work. As the slab is placed in a excavated hole under the ground, the perimeter of the excavated hole acts as the form work in these type of slabs. As there is no form work to provide a guide during concrete pouring, we use a laser level to get a semi in ground pool slab flat and to the required height.

Another example where a slab does not need form work is basement storage space slabs. To get a basement concrete slab ready for pouring usually involves excavating and removing the soil from under the house. The brick work foundation walls act as the form work.

Basement concrete slabs are usually built as added storage space for large items. Slab pouring in these types of settings require a level concrete surface. This achieves increased floor space for your home without the need to do extensive home renovations.

We can build and form numerous shapes for slabs. The traditional shapes for concrete slabs are square and rectangle. Square and rectangle concrete slabs are well suited for carport slabs and shed slabs. Slabs concrete is a base for building a structure above it. A flat concrete slab makes it easier to build something onto it such as for spa slabs and basement slabs.

Slabs concrete get its structural strength from the steel reinforcement in the slab. The type of steel reinforcement used for slabs can vary. A concrete slab driveway requires different steel reinforcement specifications to a concrete slab roof.

Concreting a drive, does not require slab pouring with concrete foundations. Concreting a drive such as a plain concrete driveway is the most basic form of slabs concrete. Driveway slabs need less steel reinforcing requirements compared with other types of slabs. This makes driveway slabs cost less than other types of concrete slabs.

If you are after an economical concrete quote, as concrete experts we do numerous plain concrete driveway styles.

- Concreting Sydney