Crawlspace slab

I'd recommend closer to 4" of stone. Rebar is probably unnecessary--how large is the space?

Roughly 25' x 10' - open to the basement now since I've taken the concrete block wall down to 4 courses above basement floor.

I understand the delemia, but no rebar in concrete is a big no no in my book, especially at my own house. The rebar helps to keep the concrete together if it cracks and I would never take the chance with out it. Small cost in the grand scheme of things really.

brhokel606 said:

I understand the delemia, but no rebar in concrete is a big no no in my book, especially at my own house. The rebar helps to keep the concrete together if it cracks and I would never take the chance with out it. Small cost in the grand scheme of things really.

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I agree, definitely not much extra expense or labor in that. The reason I'm considering skipping rebar is that access to send concrete into the space is very tricky and I may need to rolls wheelbarrow across to move the first 1/3 of the concrete. Probably a better way to do it but my experience with pour logistics is zero. I plan to hire someone to help me and float it out. If I attempt this alone I'll surely make a mess of it. Being a storage hole, really wouldn't be huge deal if it was sloppy but I'd have to live with it forever.

dielectricunion said:

I agree, definitely not much extra expense or labor in that. The reason I'm considering skipping rebar is that access to send concrete into the space is very tricky and I may need to rolls wheelbarrow across to move the first 1/3 of the concrete. Probably a better way to do it but my experience with pour logistics is zero. I plan to hire someone to help me and float it out. If I attempt this alone I'll surely make a mess of it. Being a storage hole, really wouldn't be huge deal if it was sloppy but I'd have to live with it forever.

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We have done a few, take out a window and I mean totally take it out and just put in a new window after, that is what we normally do. We used 5 gallon buckets, filled outside and brought in through window. Sucked but is was a shelf basement on the last one and could not get enough of an angle to run concrete down a chute. Otherwise we normally just make a chute to bring it in.

I've got two blocks removed from the concrete block foundation that should allow a chute through and a small 16" x 6" high vent that can be removed. Tough part is the house is on a small sloped lot so the closest a truck could get is about 10-12' from that side of the house. The street I live on is tiny and has one lane of parking with just enough space for a truck to pass, but not very bust and I know all my neighbors.

Buckets, unfortunately, may be a good idea. I figure, hauled out like 23 yards of soil out of that hole with 5 gal buckets and wheelbarrow, what's a few more in concrete!

dielectricunion said:

I've got two blocks removed from the concrete block foundation that should allow a chute through and a small 16" x 6" high vent that can be removed. Tough part is the house is on a small sloped lot so the closest a truck could get is about 10-12' from that side of the house. The street I live on is tiny and has one lane of parking with just enough space for a truck to pass, but not very bust and I know all my neighbors.

Buckets, unfortunately, may be a good idea. I figure, hauled out like 23 yards of soil out of that hole with 5 gal buckets and wheelbarrow, what's a few more in concrete!

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LOL, exactly. Have concrete truck put on chutes to get u close. Make a ramp through that hole, use a concrete rake to push through wall and into 5 gallon buckets on inside. Either that or recruit 1/2 dozen friends and bucket it all.

Yeah, should probably invest an hour and build some plywood slides to get the stuff into where I need it. Just want to be well prepared so I don't piss off the driver with my lack of experience and I can get him back on the road ASAP.

I understand, but when that mud shows and you approve the mix, he now works in you're time frame. He makes the same an hour whether he's on the road or standing by the chute.

I always provide donuts and stuff for my drivers, they have pitched in when needed and usually return to my pours. A good driver knows his place and can be a huge assets, and also a pain in the arse if bad.

I have done two like that, the tow behind pump shines on those projects.

After any amount of screeding with out the ability to stand up all the way straight you are going to want all the help you can get.

I don't think mesh or rebar is very vital to what you are describing, I assume since its a crawlspace it doesn't freeze under there, and it's not like you are going to be driving a truck over it.

Yeah, a tow behind would be perfect! I have never used one so I forget about them :laughing:

Wouldn't you rather dug it out more do you can stand up? Or, is that not possible/feasible?

jb4211 said:

Wouldn't you rather dug it out more do you can stand up? Or, is that not possible/feasible?

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Probably only 4' feet of foundation wall and then the footing.

I've done a few of these, and they're rank right up there as being the worst possible pours ever. I suppose, if it's your own house, your back may not hurt as bad afterward though.......

I'd skip the idea of the wheel barrow all together, I don't think you'll be able to push it, much less dump it. We have an aluminum chute we've used on these, but it still has to be pretty steep to flow decent. A wood chute will need to be even steeper, you may want to conisder lining the bottom with something slippery to aid in the concrete flow.

No matter what you do to move the concrete, short of a line pump, it's gonna be a whole lot of suck........

I'm not a concrete guy. But I'm familiar with digging out a basement and pouring concrete to turn into living space. That's very popular with the older south Philly home. Very labor intensive. But, those that live in South Philly, love south Philly. Me...not so much.

My buddy lives there and had it done.

jb4211 said:

I'm not a concrete guy. But I'm familiar with digging out a basement and pouring concrete to turn into living space. That's very popular with the older south Philly home. Very labor intensive. But, those that live in South Philly, love south Philly. Me...not so much.

My buddy lives there and had it done.

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I know what you're saying, but it's about the most labor intensive way for him to get a small, maybe 6' by 23' hallway at "full height", but it's still not the same as above ground space value...........

It's funny "labor intensive" still seems like an understatement regarding this issue. lol

I'm guessing the Home Depot parking lot labor force is probably very familiar with the routine.

jb4211 said:

Wouldn't you rather dug it out more do you can stand up? Or, is that not possible/feasible?

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The reason I'm doing this right now is because I'm rebuilding my entire structural floor so I've cut out the floors above this crawl. It's total luxury compared to what you're imagining. But this past winter I was under that floor digging to pour footing and pier to support my new LVL girder. That sucked.

You can order a mix from your supplier that has a fiber in it that takes the place of wire in my area. Its not your traditional fiber and when you put the pencil to it you will break even on the wire vs fiber. I dont think its a steel fiber but its a polly.

CConcreteEx said:

You can order a mix from your supplier that has a fiber in it that takes the place of wire in my area. Its not your traditional fiber and when you put the pencil to it you will break even on the wire vs fiber. I dont think its a steel fiber but its a polly.

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Most guys, myself included, have switch to just fiber around here.

It is totally application dependent though.

Steel in a walkway is overkill, in an attached garage or basement floor also since it will never see near the max PSI load of the concrete and tensile strength is pretty much pointless.

I really like the fiber since I think it also help with shrinkage during the cure and with decorative work it prevents the surface from popping, stamping without micro fiber in the cream is pretty annoying I think.

Another concern with steel, but not huge, is ghosting, if the mesh ride up in a few spots or the cure has just the right conditions for it you can see that checkerboard pattern ghost through.