I need to pour a concrete pad 4X4 ft to set a ramp to a dock on. The
pad will be in a very steep dirt bank with tree roots. About how deep
should it be and should one use re bar or wire mesh?

Bobby wrote:

I need to pour a concrete pad 4X4 ft to set a ramp to a dock on. The
pad will be in a very steep dirt bank with tree roots. About how deep
should it be and should one use re bar or wire mesh?

I have no experience in doing this- but I think you'll need to expand
a bit if you want real help. . .

Riverbank, lake bank, pond bank? Maine or Florida? Sand, Gravel,
clay? Want it to last a year- or 50?

What purpose will it really be serving? as an anchor to the dock, or
a sundeck?

Jim

On Oct 29, 1:52 pm, Jim Elbrecht wrote:
Bobby wrote:
I need to pour a concrete pad 4X4 ft to set a ramp to a dock on. The
pad will be in a very steep dirt bank with tree roots. About how deep
should it be and should one use re bar or wire mesh?

I have no experience in doing this- but I think you'll need to expand
a bit if you want real help. . .

Riverbank, lake bank, pond bank? Maine or Florida? Sand, Gravel,
clay? Want it to last a year- or 50?

What purpose will it really be serving? as an anchor to the dock, or
a sundeck?

Jim

The pad I need to form is to support the end of a ramp that goes to
the dock. The ramp is 60 feet long from the lake bank and about15ft
higher than the water.

On Oct 29, 5:19 pm, Bobby wrote:
On Oct 29, 1:52 pm, Jim Elbrecht wrote:

Bobby wrote:
I need to pour a concrete pad 4X4 ft to set a ramp to a dock on. The
pad will be in a very steep dirt bank with tree roots. About how deep
should it be and should one use re bar or wire mesh?

I have no experience in doing this- but I think you'll need to expand
a bit if you want real help. . .

Riverbank, lake bank, pond bank? Maine or Florida? Sand, Gravel,
clay? Want it to last a year- or 50?

What purpose will it really be serving? as an anchor to the dock, or
a sundeck?

Jim

The pad I need to form is to support the end of a ramp that goes to
the dock. The ramp is 60 feet long from the lake bank and about15ft
higher than the water.

I should think that the edges should be 8 inches deep and the rest 4
inches thick.
This assumes there is no need to deal with frost heave.
A #4 bar laid in the thickened edge would be a good idea with tree
roots in the area.
A long ramp may need a thickened slab with a piece of reinforcing at
the foot.
T

On Mon, 29 Oct 2007 16:09:45 -0500, wrote:

On Mon, 29 Oct 2007 19:49:45 -0000, Bobby
wrote:

I need to pour a concrete pad 4X4 ft to set a ramp to a dock on. The
pad will be in a very steep dirt bank with tree roots. About how deep
should it be and should one use re bar or wire mesh?

4" should work and you can probably get away without wire. If you can
bum a little piece from a guy pouring a slab at a construction site it
will give you a little extra strength. This is the kind of thing you
find in the dumpster.

Old metal fencing works as a free or cheap substitute. i would
recommend some wire mesh in there. 4" should be OK. There is also a
thing called fibermesh concrete. You can use this if you don't use any
wire mesh. Mesh is better, but fibermesh is better than no wire mesh
at all.