Shop floor concrete

UP Oliver · Jun 28, 2014

I want to put up a pole building this summer, and want to have a section in there where I can work on tractors, etc. The heaviest thing I have is a 13,500 pound wheel loader; then my Oliver 1755 is around 10,000 pounds with the chloride in the tires. How thick should my concrete pad be? I plan to put in rebar.

Thanks.

Ellis Kinney · Jun 28, 2014

I installed something similar in the center of my barn floor to work and jack up machinery. 12 x 12 square. I loaded it with re-bar, # 6, left over from a construction job. I poured it 12 to 13 inches thick. Probably overkill, but here, Northern Ky. there is a 4 yard minimum anyway. Ellis

Cas · Jun 28, 2014

Seven years ago I poured my shop floor in 2 sections. They were 40X50 fr. In the shop section I put the box wire and pex tube in the floor. Concrete was a 4000 lb mix and 6 inches thick. In the storage section used the box wire, 4000 lb mix and 4 inches thick. It was in 2 pours and the only joint is between the 2 slabs.
Sealed the concrete the day after pour.
There are no cracks in the floor and the heaviest machine I drive on it fairly often weighs about 24,500 lbs.
I think the most important things I did were putting 3 foot of gravel in one year before and letting it settle over winter. Second thing was tamping with a little vibrating packer you push around by hand after leveling the base.
Everybody talks about rebar, fiber in the cement,
and thickness. Over the years we have poured quite a bit of cement. The best and longest lasting were where extra time and thought was given to drainage and a firm base.
Doing those two things in my mind will do more than anything else.
One other thing I did was put about 2 inches of #1 stone under all of the cement.

IaGary · Jun 28, 2014

The grade below the concrete is probably the most important.

My buildings are on a sandy ridge.

All the feedlot floors and the shop floor are 4 inch thick with no wire or rebar.

No cracks on any and some of the feedlots are 60 years old.

Shop is 20 years old and a 20,000 pound combine and tractors have been in there many times.

We leveled the sand wet it down or waited for a rain and poured 4".

Gary

Wile E · Jun 28, 2014

If it was me I would have 4 inches of sand, tamped, then 6 inch minimum of concrete. I would also remove any top soil underneath where the pad is going to be.

Larry NEIL · Jun 28, 2014

Had a concrete business. Can't beat a good sub base with about 4" to 6" of compacted stone. Next in your cold climate, I'd use a 6 bag mix as it will be stronger and resist spalling. Fabric mesh, 6"x^"x 10 gauge. I did my 40 x 60 floor like that and put radiant heat in it and love it!

Shop floor concrete

UP Oliver

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Ellis Kinney

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Cas

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IaGary

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Wile E

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Larry NEIL

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