Concrete Driveways That Carry the Load

What Goes Into a Driveway That Lasts

The concrete you see is only the top layer of the job. Most driveways that crack, sink or flake in Mini-Cassia failed because of what was underneath or what happened in the first few weeks, not because the concrete itself was bad.

Excavation and base

We dig out sod, topsoil and any soft or organic material, then bring in gravel base and compact it in lifts. Native silty soils around Burley hold water and move when they freeze; a compacted gravel base drains and gives the slab uniform support so it doesn’t settle in one corner.

Thickness and reinforcement

Four inches is common for passenger cars. Where you park a loaded pickup, a stock trailer or a motorhome, we go thicker and add rebar on chairs so the steel stays in the middle of the slab where it does its job, not pressed into the dirt. We thicken the edges where tires roll on and off.

Slope and drainage

We set the grade so water runs away from the garage and toward the street or yard, and we pay attention to where the downspouts dump. Standing water on a driveway becomes ice in January and a pothole by April.

The mix

For exterior flatwork we order an air-entrained mix. Air entrainment puts billions of microscopic bubbles in the paste that give freezing water room to expand, which is the main defense against surface scaling in a climate like ours. We don’t add water on site to make it easier to place, because extra water weakens the surface.