Plain Concrete Bases
A simple base of concrete, plain or reinforced, can be used as a starting point for a shed, workshop or garage, as hardstanding for a yard or driveway, or even as part of a more formal rigid or bound pavement. But what about that reinforcement, and should it have shuttering? Will it need movements joints? Dowels? And just what is a DPM? Find out here
Plain Concrete Hardstandings
Plain, unadorned mass concrete, straight from the mixer, levelled, compacted and floated to a smooth finish is a simple, cost-effective and highly useful surface for paving, for shed and garage bases, for driveways and dozens of other uses. This page considers how it is used and what is needed to ensure a successful finish.
Reinforcement for Concrete
Reinforcement is used to strengthen concrete, to give it incredible load bearing capacity, and extend its life. This page looks at the more popular types of reinforcement used with concrete for paving and surfacing, including mesh, rebar and poly-fibres.
Concrete Movement Joints
It's advisable to incorporate some form of movement joint within larger concrete slabs, particularly those 6m x 6m in plan or larger. This page looks at the options.
Formwork and Shuttering
All concrete pours need to be contained, to hold the concrete in place until it hardens sufficiently to hold its own shape. This page looks at the ways and means of containing the fresh concrete, keeping it where it needs to be until it hardens. This is known as shuttering or formwork.
