02-05-2011, 01:24 PM
Yeah I know it’s straying off topic a bit, but this reminds me of something with regard to modern construction issues…
Seeb,
That's a lot if you loaded the aggregates by hand and not backhoe, I’d also assume there was no pump onsite either. In some remote locations, it's not possible to get a concrete truck to site from a batch yard and the portable mixers the only method available. In third world countries such mixing methods are common place and saw them used frequently when living in Mexico.
Our innovative thinking in this nation in some respects has suffered via too much convenience. Consider in-ground pool construction, how would one fabricate a concrete pool or cistern if they had no shotcrete/gunite machines or forming materials available? I’ve seen it done and it’s a very simple method resulting in no joints.
Dan,
In my experience for a slab on grade, the mesh/bar requirements are dictated by the sites soil substrate and weather exposures, not necessarily just the load atop them. In this area, soft soils are not always the case, more often we end up with crushed compacted rock atop larger ripped and rolled rock. There's not much stress applied to a slab on grade when sitting atop such "soil"/substrate. I’d let an engineer decide what’s necessary.
Also... I’ve built several multilevel concrete parking garages over the years within several mid high rise buildings; those included multiple PT slabs above the basement parking level. The pads on grade within them were nearly all chopped fiber mesh with no rebar specified in them.
E ho'a'o no i pau kuhihewa.
Seeb,
That's a lot if you loaded the aggregates by hand and not backhoe, I’d also assume there was no pump onsite either. In some remote locations, it's not possible to get a concrete truck to site from a batch yard and the portable mixers the only method available. In third world countries such mixing methods are common place and saw them used frequently when living in Mexico.
Our innovative thinking in this nation in some respects has suffered via too much convenience. Consider in-ground pool construction, how would one fabricate a concrete pool or cistern if they had no shotcrete/gunite machines or forming materials available? I’ve seen it done and it’s a very simple method resulting in no joints.
Dan,
In my experience for a slab on grade, the mesh/bar requirements are dictated by the sites soil substrate and weather exposures, not necessarily just the load atop them. In this area, soft soils are not always the case, more often we end up with crushed compacted rock atop larger ripped and rolled rock. There's not much stress applied to a slab on grade when sitting atop such "soil"/substrate. I’d let an engineer decide what’s necessary.
Also... I’ve built several multilevel concrete parking garages over the years within several mid high rise buildings; those included multiple PT slabs above the basement parking level. The pads on grade within them were nearly all chopped fiber mesh with no rebar specified in them.
E ho'a'o no i pau kuhihewa.