Replacing 2m of concrete drive, advice please.

davemorton

After a numpty of a 'builder' dug up about 2m of my drive, I now need to replace it. I have cut a straight line across the drive, and dug out all the old concrete from behins the cut (an area of about 2m x 2m) Can I now just mix & pour in new concrete, or is there a special way I have to join the two sections of drive?? Im not looking for aesthetics, just a level drive that does not crack the first time a frost comes. :beer:

Fortune82

It might be worth leaving a small expansion gap which can be filled with mastic.

davemorton

So what would the easiest way to do that be, to put a thin piece of wood between the two surfaces whilst te new drive was wet??

davemorton

Or would I be better off just coating the cut (old) part of the drive with silicon before pouring in the new concrete??

Al1x

when we made a concrete drive bigger we dug round thes existing concrete and drilled holes to put sleel rods in roughly 2 foot apart iirc (they were around a foot long, half sticking out of the old concrete), thay way it holds the new concrete to the old stuff. we put plenty of hardcore in then poured new concrete on top to the same height as the old stuff.

an edging trowel was then ran down between the new and old concrete to finish it off nicely.

I hope that helps.

WLM21

davemorton wrote: »

So what would the easiest way to do that be, to put a thin piece of wood between the two surfaces whilst te new drive was wet??

Glue a piece of softboard to the end of the old concrete, assuming the concrete has been cut straight, using a masonry saw. Then just pour the fresh concrete against it. (have the top of the softboard just below the level of the surface, to make getting matching heights a little easier.

When the new concrete is set, scrape out a bit from the top of the softboard (1/2 inch deep maximum) and apply waterproof mastic .. this isn't essential, but better.

davemorton

Fantastic!! Just one question, whats softboard please??

WLM21

The board they use in schools for pin boards. Sometimes called insulation board.



Look here too (Expansion Joints) no need for dowels though in your case

http://www.pavingexpert.com/concjnt1.htm