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cynic cynic is offline
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Default steel plate thickness query (amongst others!)

On 12 Dec, 16:20, JimK wrote:
Next spring I'm going to have to revisit the access track/bridleway
which is deteriorating again despite regular topping up with MOT.

So thinking of casting in situ two 18 inch wide concrete "tank tracks"
for 150m!

Challenges will include:

1 keeping costs down.. mixing own concrete, doing a "section" at a
time.... or sod it and try and do 4m3 runs at once with small ready
mix trucks?

2 Keeping access open (incl vehicles) during concrete cure stages:-
Road forms or equivalent pegged for sides and a (possibly bolted down)
steel plate top for wheeled traffic whilst initial curing takes place
- how thick a plate? thinner is cheaper and easier, but at what
thinness will it bend/buckle and backfire??

3 Shaping the concrete to avoid sharp corner edges (horses etc) -
perhaps some sort of curved top (in section) road forms, or similar or
fabricate something to do the job... or will I be able to simply knock
the sharp edges off with a big hammer after a few days curing when
"mould" removed?

4 Do i need reinforcement? plan on 4inch average concrete depth for
cars, tranny vans, small oil tankers.

5 Any way I could easily replicate (or just give a passing impression
of) stone flags as I cast it? (other parts of the track have these
still in situ - it would be "nice" to give a nod to the vernacular..)

what does the group think? do-able? what've I forgotten/underestimated/
failed to appreciate etc--- you get the picture - Help!!

Cheers
JimK


As a rider, I'm delighted that you are not proposing to make the whole
width of bridleway into a solid concrete road. Horse traffic is best
provided for by a firm but yielding surface. Concrete or tarmac do not
make for compatibility with hooves.