Concrete

[Shane Adcock]

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.

[Russell griffiths]

Isn’t there a specific concrete for farm buildings 

something  to do with animal urine if I remember. 

[nod]

I would at least use an anti crack mesh 

[saveasteading]

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.

 

[saveasteading]

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.

[Shane Adcock]

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.

[saveasteading]

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

2 layers of mesh is unnecessary.