Concrete is one of the most user-friendly building materials around. It’s durable and inexpensive, yet can be made amazingly attractive with today’s new concrete finishes. Learn how to pour a concrete slab, the basis for many outdoor hardscape projects.

Calculate Thickness and Reinforcement

The purpose for which you’re pouring a concrete slab will determine the thickness of your concrete and the type of reinforcement you’ll need to install.

Parking. Concrete for additional parking, whether for vehicles used every day or just occasionally (think RV or boat), should be at least 6 inches thick and reinforced with rebar.

Garage. Similar to parking, concrete garage flooring needs to be thick and strong enough to take the weight of one or more vehicles.

Patio or pool deck. Here, pouring a concrete slab 4” in thickness is fine. While you may choose to reinforce it with rebar, wire mesh should be sufficient.

Outdoor kitchen foundation. Thickness and reinforcement depend on the facilities you plan to install. A masonry wood-burning pizza oven or full-sized range plus outdoor fridge plus al fresco wet bar will need thicker concrete and stronger reinforcement than a small grill.

Floor for the outbuilding. A 3” to 4” slab will work for the floor of a storage or tool shed, workshop, garden shed, or playhouse.

Steps to Pouring a Concrete Slab

1. Contact your local building authority. Check whether you’ll need a permit for your project. You should also find out the setbacks so you’ll know how much distance to leave between the lot line and your construction.
   
   
2. Phone a one-call number. Verify the position of any underground cables prior to excavating.
   
   
3. Excavate -- and level if necessary. Slope a patio slab approximately ¼ inch per 12 feet away from your house to allow rain to run off and avoid damage to your foundation.
   
   
4. Install subbase. Add 1”-1 ¼ ” gravel for every inch of concrete you plan to install. Tamp down for a solid subbase that will resist settling. Then dampen with a garden hose; this minimizes concrete cracking due to shrinkage.
   
   
5. Build forms. Set a stake at each corner of your future slab. Attach two side form boards (2 x 12 boards cut 3” longer than the intended slab width) to the corner stakes. Then add two end boards, the exact length you need, meeting the side boards at precise 90-degree angles. Nail bracing to the forms at 2’ intervals.
   
   
6. Mix concrete. Mix 1 part Portland cement, 2 parts sand, and 4 parts aggregate (usually gravel) in a cement mixer or wheelbarrow. Then add just enough water to make a workable mixture. (Too much water will weaken the concrete and cause it to crack more readily.)
   
   
7. Pour concrete. Mound the concrete into the form, with the highest peaks 2-3” above the formwork.
   
   
8. Distribute. Hoe the concrete to distribute it evenly in your form, with a flat top surface.
   
   
9. Screed. Level your concrete by dragging a screed board (straight 2 x 4) evenly across it. Work from the highest point down the slope. Make sure all spaces are evenly filled.
   
   
10. Float. Use a bull-float to compress the aggregate, so that smooth gravel-less concrete sits on top of your slab.
    
    
11. Broom finish. Produce an anti-skid surface by brushing the concrete with a stiff-bristled broom.
    
    
12. Cut control joints. Create control joints about every 5-6 feet to minimize cracking. These should be equal to ¼ the slab depth (for example, 1” deep for a 4” slab or 1 ½” for a 6”.)
    
    
13. Edge. Smooth your slab’s edges with an edging tool.
    
    
14. Cure. Let your slab cure for maximum strength and stability. Allow 24 hours before walking on new concrete, 10 days before driving a car, and 28 days before driving a heavier vehicle on it. During this period, keep the concrete moist by spraying or ponding.

Tips

• The best weather for pouring a concrete slab is not too hot or cold – 70 degrees is ideal.
• If you hire a pro to do the job, get multiple quotes and compare
• Install utilities – electrical wiring, plumbing or gas lines -- before pouring your concrete slab.
• Cover nearby house walls and landscaping to protect against splashes.
• Accent a new patio with a decorative concrete finish.

Over the last few decades construction is becoming a trend with the current focus on design. Concrete provides options for homes and building owners and is stronger, more resilient.

As technologies continue to improve, there has been an explosion of growth in the construction industry, with new trends and innovations. Have a look at these five trends that are hot to find the way that construction is heading.

Offsite construction is not anything new, but the tendency inside the construction industry is starting to grow. Structures are durable, it is a possible start and to pour construction offsite in a controlled environment, eliminating unforeseen conditions that are site-based and weather delays.

Once nearly all the structure was erected, it is transported to the site where the remainder of the construction is carried out. This sort of construction can reduce delays and costs, leading to better quality construction in less time and for less money.

ICF

In a world of rising energy bills, business owners and more home are starting to consider the efficacy of their home and building from the bottom up. This means using construction methods that can help keep down costs while resulting.

Insulated concrete forms, such as those from Bautex Systems, provide unparalleled efficiency, comfort, and durability for concrete houses and buildings. ICF is a simple to build which sound proofs that the building loss. The forms can be worked into any design, which means durability in addition to flexibility and efficiency. At the day's end, ICF homes offer many features that homeowners cannot pass by.

Disasters such as hurricanes have laid waste. They would like to do so in a manner that ensures that they won't need to risk the kind of devastation as home and business owners rebuild. This means using all types of construction on walls, foundations, and outbuildings.

Such as LBW and ICF systems is regarded as a kind of resilient construction. This means that buildings and houses are not as likely to sustain the sort of damage that stick building dwellings have sustained in disasters. Resilient construction may consist of using ICF forms for the majority of the walls of the house using rebar embedded in concrete, or using a combination of these techniques to produce a construction that is stable.

3D printing has been a reality for many decades, with people investing in equipment that can turn out accent pieces and moldings which may otherwise take weeks or days to create in minutes.

Until recently, while lots of these plastics could be painted, and though 3D printing was restricted to various kinds of plastic and finished, they were available as options that are cosmetic. That changed for the construction sector, however, with the creation of 3D printing. This kind of printing can recreate other forms, architectural moldings, and sculptures. An end result is a secure form which can be used through design or architecture. This opens up possibilities for builders and homeowners with the capacity to make a broad assortment of columns, corbels, columns, and other forms which might have been too expensive.

In this system of construction, walls and slabs are poured at exactly the time, which results in construction as well as strength for the construction.

Each form can be assembled in only 24 hours, which means that the buildings can go up at a speed never before seen in the construction industry. And for buildings, load-bearing techniques like aerated concrete cubes allow for durable construction that results for builders.

The concrete home construction business is growing at lightning speed.

With new innovations coming to market all of the time construction is becoming the future for the industry's way. Use these trends in your buildings to keep up with this growing sector.

Best Techniques to Find Ideal Concrete Contractors & Paving Companies

It is important to identify at least three candidates for concrete contractors and interview them carefully before hiring one. Look for several reputable companies in the area through the Internet or referrals from friends, business partners or other trustworthy sources. Start calling them once you have a list and narrow this to the three most qualified providers.  

The interview process should start with a phone call for initial inquiries. You can ask them to send their credentials right after the first step. Go over the background of each and schedule individual personal interviews separately 

Selectedly recommends that homeowners must interview three companies before hiring the right one.

Here are some questions to consider for your prospective contractor: 

1. What are their specific experiences as a concrete contractor and paving projects?  They need to provide details about actual work; timelines; materials and equipment used; and, costs.
2. How long have they been in the concreting and paving industry? 
3. How many years has the contractor’s company formally existed?
4. How many construction permits have the contractor obtained in the community or area during the past years?  

This will show their familiarity with the location and relevant codes, requirements, and regulations.

Other Essential Things to Consider

The contractor must be fully insured so they can cover any accidents while the project is ongoing. The license is not the same as liability coverage. General liability policy is a protection against damage or negligence by the contractor, sub-contractor, and workers. The contractor must be able to provide a copy of the insurance certificate. Scrutinize expiry dates and call the issuing agency for verification purposes. 

The contractor must also carry compensation insurance for workers. This plan protects you from any responsibility in case one of the workers is injured during the entire project duration.

Some general contractors bring in trade contractors especially if the project is too big and requires an urgent deadline. They need to be very candid about this matter.  

At the same time, reputable companies will not hesitate to give you several references for similar jobs. Make sure they submit detailed timelines by phase. Experienced and competent contractors must be capable of providing a reasonable schedule for finishing the concreting and paving work. This should include specific tasks with milestones including daily expectations.  They should stick to this schedule as much as possible.

The efficient contractor needs to submit a formal proposal with timelines, list of materials and cost estimates including labor. The Contract must specify full work description and materials needed for the project. There also has to be a very clear payment schedule along with dates of start and proposed completion. The warranty must also be understandable so you will know what to expect when problems arise.

Problems may come up along the way. This cannot be avoided even if the contractor is known for quality work. The important thing is they will complete the project promptly and clear up the debris before leaving. The last thing you want to happen is the contractor disappearing at the middle of the concreting work.