Creating Correct Thickness in a Concrete Driveway

Laying a solid base for your concrete driveway and pouring it to the correct thickness will give you a driveway that can stand up to heavy trucks and cars and resist cracking and hollowing under vehicle tires. Learn more below about how to create the correct thickness for your stamped concrete driveway.

Assess Your Climate

Winters in northeastern and central North America experience deep frosts, heavy snow and ice. To prevent driveway heaving, you will need a compacted 4-inch base of crushed stone and sand, topped by 4 inches of 4000 psi concrete.

Assess Your Driveway Use

If you own a medium or large pickup truck and two cars, your driveway will be under plenty of pressure when the vehicles are all parked. Dig your driveway 10 inches deep, put in 4 inches of crushed stone, add reinforcing bars across it, and add 2 inches of sand. Use concrete rated at 4500 psi for the driveway surface.

For a Sloped Driveway

On a sloped driveway increase the thickness of the driveway base to 8 inches and the top layer of concrete to 5 inches for stability. Add control joints every 8 feet. Note that 7 percent is considered the maximum safe slope for a stamped concrete driveway.

Source: www.DoItYourself.com