SITE PREPARATION
FOR CONCRETE WORK

Site preparation is a very important part of the process of concrete work, from earthworks to base prep formwork to steel fixing. It all needs to be tailored to the job at hand and some simple rules of thumb apply.

EXCAVATION

Excavating and shaping the area before base is laid is important, once this process begins we can see that area take shape ready for the next process. Where possible machines are used skid-steers, excavators or tight access equipment if needed.

BASE PREPARATION

I prefer to use newly quarried rubble over recycled material which can have a high content of soil, bricks or even wood from my experience and for the extra cost involved using a newly quarried PN2 (20mm Rubble) quartzite or dolomite (blue metal) is better. In my driveway preparation I am for a 100mm base after compaction. Sometimes it ends up deeper and sometimes a little shallower.

MESH & STEEL

As a minimum in domestic environments, I prefer to use SL62 mesh, when requested thicker grades will be used. On a commercial carpark it would be SL82 as a minimum.Steel doesn’t affect the strength of concrete but as a part of a concrete slab it certainly slows it down from failing

Stronger MPA concreted can stand higher compressive pressures when steel is added concrete can handle higher bending pressures, resulting in a good all-round performance. Cement makes concrete stronger while steel aids in resisting cracking pressures.