Hi all,

I am just pricing a stable base and am considering using concrete with fibre in and was wondering if I would still need to use steel reinforcing with it if I did, normally we just use steel reinforcing with an RC45 at 150mm thick.

Also does anyone know of a spec sheet that will tell me recommended thickness and requirements for different load bearings.

Thank you for any help and advice.

Isn’t there a specific concrete for farm buildings 

something  to do with animal urine if I remember. 

I would at least use an anti crack mesh 

Fibre additive is good value and good for anticrack. Will then need a few sawcuts (later discussion).

Steel mesh is more advisable if you think there may be some inferior sub base as it can bridge the problem a bit.

Otherwise fibre is good.

Only for horses? No vehicles?

Strength isn't an issue, but quality is as it should not have cracks.

So a standard c30mix, with fibre and plasticiser. Absolutely don't add water to the mix supplied.

If the base is flat and hard then 100mm minimum thickness will suffice. But if its a rough hardcore allow 150mm.

Then there are drainage slopes to consider.

Laying concrete is a skill. With fibres it is also harder work.

 

Re strength again.. would a horse fall through the stone base? No. So it won't fall through, or break, the concrete above it even without steel or fibre.

 

This got my interest. There's loads online. There is a mention of an 'agriculture mix'.  It appears to be high cement content to resist urine. That will cost just a few £ more. 

Come back for info on laying and crack control.

Thank you for the advice, I think I will go without the fibre as I’ve laid plenty of normal pads without fibre but never any with fibre and would rather no have my first one being such a big pour encase it goes wrong and just put two layers of steel into the pad and use an RC45 mix.

As for drainage slopes, I was going to aim for about 10-12mm per meter which may still be a little too much as its got to have a single course of bricks put around where the stable will sit and don’t want it to far out of level for that.

As for the control joints I would normally put them about 30x the thickness as that’s what I was taught but, in this case, to make cleaning the stables easier I am aiming to put them under the separator walls (unless there is a reason I shouldn’t do that?). everything that is going to take a fair bit of weight that I have laid in the past has come with a design drawing but apparently these stables don’t which is why I am asking for a little advice to make sure I get it correct.

Under the walls is a good idea, but still fill them with flexible filler.

2 layers of mesh is unnecessary.