Concrete for new dog run

Seems to be going a bit technical for a dog run/kennel base. 4" thick 1:3 1/2 mix concrete, weld mesh at 2" tamp, float finish, all done!
 
Bardons have nearly 2000 mixes ranging from £60-£1,500 per metre. The construction designers and insurers do not specify a particular mix by guesswork. Digging out concrete costs fifteen times the laying costs.
Dog kennel... C30/35A
 
Thanks rd having a ring round tomorrow for the strength you recommend then watch the weather for a day to lay
norma
 
Seems to be going a bit technical for a dog run/kennel base. 4" thick 1:3 1/2 mix concrete, weld mesh at 2" tamp, float finish, all done!

Thats wot i was thinking, will it not be quite expensive getting a ready mix in for such a small quantity?
Are u not just talking a bit over a cube? (4x3 x0,1m= 1.3m3?)

Surprised at everyone recommending welldmash in a dog kennel floor, is it likely to crack if base well wacked? Not a lot of wieght/stress on it or is there another reason for the reinforcing?

My present ones are a abit rough and ready and done on the cheap, but have lasted 10 years since i laid the concrete, nae bother and doubt any is over 100mm thick with no real proper sub base below it or reinforcing, my latest add on is probably only 50mm thick in places and is 4 years old now a still looks fine but i admit it is not done right and planning to do these next ones right althou still hand mix it.


To get a nice finish replace the tamp with a pice of plastic pipe

Sorry to ask a dumb question, but wot do u mean above? Instead of tamping with a bit of wood/batton u jusy use some alkethene pipe?
 
Last edited:
Weld mesh is the stress bearing member and the concrete is just a filler. Structural concrete has 10% by volume re-bar and mesh. Extremes of heat and cold will crack concrete if it is laid without reinforcing.
But amazingly there hasn't been a tar or concrete invented yet that will stop a thistle seed finding the sun...
 
If we wasn't power floating floor slabs we would tamp the concrete hard along the slab, give it a medium tamp back then a light tamp bring the fat as we called it to the surface. Then 8inch damp course with the squiggle pattern on and saw affect across the slab this leaves a nice smooth pattern of the damp course plastic and a smooth finish.
 
The "fat" is actually cementitious water that will flake off the first cold spell. A vibrating poker if overdone has the same effect.
 
You only need steel reinforcement if you expect soft ground where the concrete could bend or where you want to save the amount of concrete by reducing the depth.
Concrete's strength is when it acts in compression and so it shouldn't need reinforcement on a standard concrete slab.
I should know I helped my dad concrete the yard beside his garage and the garage floor near on 40yrs ago.
Only a couple of small areas that have failed in that time.
Depth of the slab was around 4"-5" with no reinforcement.
you might need a slightly stronger mix but it does work.

Ed
 
You are well named Luckie Eddie!!
Give the site engineer a call at the new Forth Bridge and advise him he has just wasted half a billion on steel reinforcing?
 
You are well named Luckie Eddie!!
Give the site engineer a call at the new Forth Bridge and advise him he has just wasted half a billion on steel reinforcing?

RD - I don't need to as I look after the Bridge as part of my day job:-D
That as well as the Tay Bridge and a couple of thousand other structures for Network Rail - so give me some credit as it is a big part of my job!

Ed

I can confirm that the only steel used in the construction of the foundations on the Forth Bridge were in the forming of the cassions otherwise it is just masonry and concrete with no internal reinforcement.

Oh and by the way a similar principle was used in the construction of the new Forth Crossing as the idea was pinched from the Bridge. You can see the sequence at the Technical briefs they give on the last Friday of the month (although these are stopped now until March)

And finally the names for the bridges are The Forth Bridge, The Forth Road Bridge, The Forth Crossing and The Clackmannanshire Bridge.
 
Last edited:
Don't be fooled into thinking that concrete slabs need reinforcement - if the formation layer is sound (no clay or soft spots) then a simple concrete slab is fine.
As I said concrete (as well as stone and brick) work well in compression as can be seen by the vast amount of masonry and brick arched bridges through out the country.
A concrete company has recently added concrete arches to its portfolio as well.

Ed
 
Boys o boys come don't fall out over some bloody concrete ! I spent half the day phoning around ,the big boys wernt interested and the cheapest mini mix I could get was £201 .59 inc vat and del the most expensive was £280 and that was for 1.2 cubic metres ,yes I could hand mix but I can't be arsed with phaffing about with mixers Ect I had enough of that 25 yrs ago hodding .as the boss kindly paid for the kennels a few hundred quid won't break me.
so Wednesday is the day of the big pour got agent and grumpy coming over as we've a park cull in the afternoon so here's hoping for a dry day .
cheers Norma
 
Back
Top