How Thick Should My Concrete Driveway Be

To prevent cracks over time that take away from your hard-earned cash, make sure your concrete is poured at an even thickness. 

But the question is, how thick should a concrete driveway be?

If you are working with an experienced concrete contractor, they should ask you a few questions to determine the driveway's thickness. The number of vehicles and type of vehicles you plan to park on your driveway should be taken note of. Obviously, the heavier the vehicle, the thicker the concrete should be. 

Passenger Car Driveways A regular single-car driveway is 8 to 9 feet in width and, for a two-car driveway, 16-18 feet. A standard concrete driveway is typically 4 inches of non-reinforced pavement. Four inches to plenty for your family cars to park without fear of costly cracks popping up due to excess weight. 

Angle of Driveway

An important note about your new concrete driveway is to make sure your contractor angles the slope towards the street to allow water to run off. If this is not accounted for, water will pool on your concrete and cause water damage and repairs or even replacement. The slope should be angled at 1/8 of an inch per foot. 

Reinforcement

Joints and Steel Reinforcement In addition to thickness, installing joints to prevent cracking is key. Typically, with a 4-inch slab, joints will be placed 10 feet apart from each other and take up 1/4 of the total thickness.

If slabs will be exposed to heavy foot traffic, further structural capacity with steel reinforcement could be a good call. This won't prevent cracks but will help hold the concrete together if they do. 

Concrete reinforcement is either one-half-inch steel rebar or wire mesh. For driveways 4-5 inches thick, wire mesh should be used. For 5 inches or more, rebar should be placed. For rebar, a grid pattern with 12-inch spacing is standard. For either type of reinforcement, blocks should be placed underneath to keep them centered inside the concrete.

Driveway for Heavy Vehicles 

If you are planning to park a large vehicle or RV on your concrete driveway, you should think about pouring a thicker slab than the usual car driveway. You should pour the slab at least 5 inches in thickness. This extra inch on top of the four can increase the carrying capacity of your driveway up to 50%. In areas of your new driveway that are likely to support the bulk of the weight, 1 to 2 more inches of thickness can be added for extra support. 

All these measures will extend the life of your driveway by many years and save you cash in the long run. Whether you need a regular two-car driveway or one for your treasured RV, Fort Collins concrete Co and pull your new driveway today. Contact us now!