Any good websites with tutorials? I've done sidewalks, porches, and other level surfaces, but nothing that needed to be strong and have an uphill slope.

Also, can someone help me with my calculations? A cubic yard is 27 cubic feet, right? So if I'm doing a 4" thickness I should get 3 square feet from one cubic foot, or about 80 square feet per yard of concrete? Sound about right?

Your math is (almost) right. 81 SF per yard of concrete @ 4" thick.

Don't overstep your bounds as far as how much you think you can lay, screde and finish in one day. Also, if you are pouring on a slope, you need to make sure the slump is right when it comes out of the truck, or you wind up with a heap at the bottom of the hill.

Good tip. I had an estimate of around $7800 to pave it with asphalt. I figured me and about 5 friends who know what they're doing could get it done for about $5500 in materials and have a superior driveway when its said and done.

The key there is finding friends who know what they're doing....

Also make darn sure you water down the sand underlayment. Not only will that help it not crack due to settling in strange places but if the sand is wet it will make the concrete dry slower so it is stronger. Try not to pour on a 100 plus degree day during a drought.

curtis73 wrote: I figured me and about 5 friends who know what they're doing could get it done for about $5500 in materials and $500 in donuts, pizza, cigars, and beer.

I fixed it. I did a garage pad and I paid my wife's uncle's employee cash to do all the concrete finishing. Worth the money.

Yeah, the slope thing concerns me. Be sure to heed the note above about slump. Other than that, sounds like a plan!

1 You don't lay concrete, you pour concrete.

2 You lay pipe.

I seem to recall that laying concrete is like painting a car, it's all in the prep. The multiple layers that go below the concrete are the hard parts. I'd want one guy on the crew who does concrete work for a living, the expertise would be critical.

The good thing about working with concrete is, if you mess it up, it's easy to fix your mistakes. Wait....

Tagged for the outcome. I'm not sure $2300 savings is worth potentially FUBAR ing the driveway and having to pay to fix it... even with the concrete upgrade.

Won't you be out 10 g's minimum if you have to fix/redo? I hope your 5 friends are very experienced.

I've poured level slabs, never done one on a slope. I did study architectural engineering a long time back and yes the 'slump' is very important. Before you order the concrete, call the supplier and tell them what slope you are planning to work with.

Don't forget the rebar wire and also you need to keep the slabs sorta small. The last time I had a driveway poured, the max slab size was 10' wide x 20' long. If they get much larger they will be very prone to cracking, and will still develop cracks if they are smaller. In your area, the freeze/thaw cycle will quickly let small cracks turn into spalling and bigger cracks. The concrete can have additives etc to cut down on this. Consult an expert before pouring!

When the truck gets there you are gonna have to work quick because that driver costs $$$$ to have standing around. The bed, form and crew need to be ready to go!

In reply to curtis73:

My dad in Central PA poured concrete on his dirt/gravel driveway with one other guy, who does general construction and does know what he's doing (my dad's done a lot of walls, but not big pads like that). Half was a gradual slope, the last 200' to the road was more steep. I can find out from him how thick they went with the slab. They laid out the driveway and expansion joints and poured every other section on the flat on day 1 (which gives you a form not just on the sides, but also the downhill and uphill. They then poured the alternating sections on day ? (I don't know if it was 2, 3, etc.). I think the next weekend they took the same approach to the slope. It came out really well. You can't finish nearly the amount of concrete you think you can, I would say, is lesson #1. Kind of like laying floor tile.

I looked seriously at doing it myself about 3-4 years ago and asked on here for advice. By the time I priced it all out, jack hammer, dumpster to remove the old stuff plus materials etc the saving for DIY was less than $1,000 for a 20' x 60' driveway plus another 60'+ of walks. It just wasn't worth it in the end.

I poured a 7 yard 55x8 driveway with my dad, mom, and wife in one day. Form up the sides- if you need curves, form them with strips of plywood (supported every few feet), otherwise, use 2x6's to form the sides. Underlayment should be 3/4" aggregate sub. We used a type of concrete with fiberglass entrained- didn't need rebar or wire mesh. I was nervous about it, but two years later, no problems. I'd still probably use the 6x6 #10 wire mesh, and use the fiberglass reinforced concrete.

Really, the only person who needs to know what they are doing is the "walking boss" so they can direct you and your buds.

Teh E36 M3 wrote: I poured a 7 yard 55x8 driveway with my dad, mom, and wife in one day. Form up the sides- if you need curves, form them with strips of plywood (supported every few feet), otherwise, use 2x6's to form the sides. Underlayment should be 3/4" aggregate sub. We used a type of concrete with fiberglass entrained- didn't need rebar or wire mesh. I was nervous about it, but two years later, no problems. I'd still probably use the 6x6 #10 wire mesh, and use the fiberglass reinforced concrete. Really, the only person who needs to know what they are doing is the "walking boss" so they can direct you and your buds.

My hats off to you. Most I've done is a 7" x 7" 1 yard base for my hot tub, that was a lot of work

I built this entire garage with some random family help back in 1987. It is what is called a floating slab - the outside perimeter was 2' deep x 2' wide and the floor was 4" thick minimum. I lived here for 14 years and never had a crack or problem. I had 3 trucks show up and used 22 yards of concrete and I had to flash the first driver cash since they would not take a check.

Do it. It wasn't that hard.

Impressive 310guy.....very impressive.

Biggest we ever did at the farm was the 33'x12' drive through portion of our shop. Outside edges matched the gable barns foundation depth of 4.5ft, and then 6-8" deep all the way across it with mesh and fiberglass in it. Has one crack in it from our biggest tractor sitting on top of it.....sounded like a shotgun when it cracked.

The worst part was chipping all of the old concrete out by hand......in places that crap was over 2ft thick.

spitfirebill wrote: #1 You don't lay concrete, you pour concrete. #2 You lay pipe.

I laid your mom.

That's a joke.

I need to find a book or website and get prepared. I'm getting excited. I work at Home Depot in the Rental department, so any of the equipment I need for excavation are at the ready. Slip the boss a bottle of cheap Scotch and I'm gravy.

spitfirebill wrote: #1 You don't lay concrete, you pour concrete. #2 You lay pipe.

Technically, you place concrete, though many folks say"pour".

Datsun310Guy wrote: ... It is what is called a floating slab - the outside perimeter was 2' deep x 2' wide and the floor was 4" thick minimum.

That's actually called a monolithic pour. A floating slab is the opposite- one that is not attached to the perimeter, but "floats", with a small gap at the edge for drainage, etc.

This thread is interesting.

Curtis73 actually never asked for advice on how to do it, nor opinions on whether he should. Which is why I didn't offer any (although I've placed thousands of yards of concrete).

He asked for websites with tutorials.

SVreX wrote: This thread is interesting. Curtis73 actually never asked for advice on how to do it, nor opinions on whether he should. Which is why I didn't offer any (although I've placed thousands of yards of concrete). He asked for websites with tutorials.

And he needs to look for info about two problems he will have. Based on his other post about the driveway he has a slope that is steep enough to cause erosion problems.

And from living in the area for 20 years I know he will have a problem with what we used to call "frost heave". about two times a winter the ground will freeze to a depth of 6-8" and then thaw fairly rapidly.

Double the number of expansion joints that the "experts" recommend. Mine was placed more than 20yrs ago and didnt crack until the drought caused the ground underneath to shrink.