I had a new 4" deep concrete driveway poured last week. How long should I
wait before I should drive my sedan on it? What about allowing a small
delivery truck (UPS/FedEx) to pull in?

Gene Bleuler wrote:
I had a new 4" deep concrete driveway poured last week. How long should I
wait before I should drive my sedan on it? What about allowing a small
delivery truck (UPS/FedEx) to pull in?



Around here, tradition is foot traffic in 24 hours, cars in a week, and
no trucks for a month. (and a loaded UPS truck is pretty heavy, one
reason they almost always double-park in the street, the others being
that backing up takes time and increases chances of an accident.)

But we can't see your driveway and soil from here, and we don't know how
the substrate was prepared, and what reinforcing was used. Call the
company that put the driveway in. They will likely have very specific
instructions as part of their warranty package. Did they cover it during
the initial cure with straw or plastic, or just tell you to hose it down
daily to keep it from drying too fast? (Or does modern concrete not need
that in warmer weather?)

--
aem sends...

On Sun, 5 Apr 2009 08:16:07 -0400, "Gene Bleuler"
wrote:

I had a new 4" deep concrete driveway poured last week. How long should I
wait before I should drive my sedan on it? What about allowing a small
delivery truck (UPS/FedEx) to pull in?


Concrete fully cures in about a month, but you can drive on it after a
day. Keep your drive watered down for a week or two. Pouring
concrete is more of an art than a science. Good luck.

Gene Bleuler wrote:
I had a new 4" deep concrete driveway poured last week. How long should I
wait before I should drive my sedan on it? What about allowing a small
delivery truck (UPS/FedEx) to pull in?


if it's been a week, you're good to go.

s

A typical answer would be 7 day minimum for vehicles. I assume
they used curing compound and the proper subgrade compaction work
as done.
--
______________________________
Keep the whole world singing . . . .
DanG (remove the sevens)




"Gene Bleuler" wrote in message
...
I had a new 4" deep concrete driveway poured last week. How long
should I wait before I should drive my sedan on it? What about
allowing a small delivery truck (UPS/FedEx) to pull in?

On Sun, 5 Apr 2009 08:16:07 -0400, "Gene Bleuler"
wrote:

I had a new 4" deep concrete driveway poured last week. How long should I
wait before I should drive my sedan on it? What about allowing a small
delivery truck (UPS/FedEx) to pull in?

I wouldn't ever let a delivery truck drive on a 4" slab. Isn't 6"
standard for driveways? Or is there some newfangled additive that
makes concrete stronger?

[or is the extra cost of 2" just so low compared to the whole job that
it is just a good idea?]

Jim

In article ,
Phisherman wrote:

Concrete fully cures in about a month

The time frame I've always heard is a hundred years. Seriously. Maybe a
moot point since it's a log curve, but hell it's Sunday.

Jim Elbrecht wrote:
On Sun, 5 Apr 2009 08:16:07 -0400, "Gene Bleuler"
wrote:

I had a new 4" deep concrete driveway poured last week. How long should I
wait before I should drive my sedan on it? What about allowing a small
delivery truck (UPS/FedEx) to pull in?

I wouldn't ever let a delivery truck drive on a 4" slab. Isn't 6"
standard for driveways? Or is there some newfangled additive that
makes concrete stronger?

[or is the extra cost of 2" just so low compared to the whole job that
it is just a good idea?]

Jim

ACTUALLY, you be lucky to find more than 3.5" in a driveway. That't the
height of a 2x4 thats used for forms. And it's always called 4".
Driveways are rarely 6" unless specially ordered that way. And a 4"
driveway is plenty strong for any city delivery truck. hell they backed
a full load of concrete in on mine to re-do the upper section and no
adverse effects.

s

Smitty Two wrote:

Concrete fully cures in about a month

The time frame I've always heard is a hundred years. Seriously. Maybe a
moot point since it's a log curve, but hell it's Sunday.

No, it's not a moot point. Air cured concrete has about 30% of it's final
compressive strength in 7 days, about 50% after 28 days, and it gradually
increases from there over years. As you say, very close to a log function.

It's also important to get the correct mix and reinforcement. Cheap concrete
might be 2500psi - better to get 4000psi and then use rebar or steel mesh.

Gene Bleuler wrote:
I had a new 4" deep concrete driveway poured last week. How long should I
wait before I should drive my sedan on it? What about allowing a small
delivery truck (UPS/FedEx) to pull in?


Hi,
I had a concrete pad poured in my back yard to park 7000 lbs. 5th wheel
trailer and 3/4 ton PU truck. I parked both after 10 days since pad was
poured. Nothing bad happened. Really concrete cures LONG time; ~
100 years, gets harder and harder with time.

"Steve Barker" wrote in message
...
Jim Elbrecht wrote:
On Sun, 5 Apr 2009 08:16:07 -0400, "Gene Bleuler"
wrote:

I had a new 4" deep concrete driveway poured last week. How long should
I wait before I should drive my sedan on it? What about allowing a small
delivery truck (UPS/FedEx) to pull in?

I wouldn't ever let a delivery truck drive on a 4" slab. Isn't 6"
standard for driveways? Or is there some newfangled additive that
makes concrete stronger?

[or is the extra cost of 2" just so low compared to the whole job that
it is just a good idea?]

Jim

ACTUALLY, you be lucky to find more than 3.5" in a driveway. That't the
height of a 2x4 thats used for forms. And it's always called 4".
Driveways are rarely 6" unless specially ordered that way. And a 4"
driveway is plenty strong for any city delivery truck. hell they backed a
full load of concrete in on mine to re-do the upper section and no adverse
effects.

s

YABBUT .........

It's difficult to find a craftsman nowadays who can cut a grade for a 2 x 4
framed pour that doesn't run from 3.5 to 6 inches thick.

For me, I like to give it a full month before driving on it with a larger
than average vehicle. After that, whatever's going to happen will. Just
put expansion joints and saw cuts, and roll the dice.

And ......... as an afterthought, a half or full sack mix more than required
is cheap insurance.

YMMV, but mine is always right ............ ;-)

Steve

"Robert Neville" wrote in message
...
Smitty Two wrote:

Concrete fully cures in about a month

The time frame I've always heard is a hundred years. Seriously. Maybe a
moot point since it's a log curve, but hell it's Sunday.

No, it's not a moot point. Air cured concrete has about 30% of it's final
compressive strength in 7 days, about 50% after 28 days, and it gradually
increases from there over years. As you say, very close to a log function.

It's also important to get the correct mix and reinforcement. Cheap
concrete
might be 2500psi - better to get 4000psi and then use rebar or steel mesh.

I worked on a pan crew for high rise buildings. We put in all the forms for
the floors. When we did a pour, we had screw jacks underneath the forms,
about 8' apart. You could not touch any jack for five days after the pour.
After five days, you could remove every other jack. (50%) After one week,
you could remove every other jack. After one week, you could remove the
remaining jacks.

The concrete in Hoover Dam is still curing. They put water recirculating
lines in there that are still functioning and removing heat from the curing
concrete, poured in about 1932-1935. IIRC, they projected the concrete
would be fully cured in 100 years. By now, though, I would think that the
percentage per year would be a percent of a percent.

Steve

"SteveB" wrote in message
...

"Robert Neville" wrote in message
...
Smitty Two wrote:

Concrete fully cures in about a month

The time frame I've always heard is a hundred years. Seriously. Maybe a
moot point since it's a log curve, but hell it's Sunday.

No, it's not a moot point. Air cured concrete has about 30% of it's final
compressive strength in 7 days, about 50% after 28 days, and it gradually
increases from there over years. As you say, very close to a log
function.

It's also important to get the correct mix and reinforcement. Cheap
concrete
might be 2500psi - better to get 4000psi and then use rebar or steel
mesh.

I worked on a pan crew for high rise buildings. We put in all the forms
for the floors. When we did a pour, we had screw jacks underneath the
forms, about 8' apart. You could not touch any jack for five days after
the pour. After five days, you could remove every other jack. (50%) After
one week, you could remove every other jack. After one week, you could
remove the remaining jacks.

The concrete in Hoover Dam is still curing. They put water recirculating
lines in there that are still functioning and removing heat from the
curing concrete, poured in about 1932-1935. IIRC, they projected the
concrete would be fully cured in 100 years. By now, though, I would think
that the percentage per year would be a percent of a percent.

Steve


I think your right and wrong. The concrete is still curing but the water
lines to take the heat away have since been filled with concrete to avoid
them being chocked down and when the heat level reached a certain point they
forced concrete in them before they were compromised.

Rich

IGNORE the answer of driving on it after a DAY... foolish advice.

ya spend $big$ dollars for a nice job...
Why would you damage the concrete that should last for MANY years just to drive on it a few days early?

There are molecular structures that have to form... drive on it and you damage those structures, resulted in a failed surface.
TWO weeks!

replying to Phisherman, Rodney wrote:
Please do not drive on the concrete after 24 hrs unless you want to risk
damaging it!! It is scientific too. The mix , site preparation and
application all make a difference to the outcome.. keeping an eye on it and
wetting it down in hot weather is a good idea as it prevents it curing too
quickly as the water content drops while the chemical reaction is strongest.
This helps prevent cracking and crazing. Concrete gets progressively stronger
with time , that can be years but is sufficiently strong enough for most
domestic usage after 7 days,with care. Once it is cracked,or marked it is
permanent. Patience required!

--
for full context, visit http://www.homeownershub.com/mainten...me-367067-.htm

On Sunday, August 14, 2016 at 9:44:05 AM UTC-4, Rodney wrote:
replying to Phisherman, Rodney wrote:
Please do not drive on the concrete after 24 hrs unless you want to risk
damaging it!!


Given that the post you're replying to is 3 years old, that probably
isn't an issue.

On 8/14/2016 9:47 AM, trader_4 wrote:
On Sunday, August 14, 2016 at 9:44:05 AM UTC-4, Rodney wrote:
replying to Phisherman, Rodney wrote:
Please do not drive on the concrete after 24 hrs unless you want to risk
damaging it!!


Given that the post you're replying to is 3 years old, that probably
isn't an issue.



I'd still wait another week though beefor driving on it.

replying to dwasylenko, SteveB wrote:
We in the construction industry in California give it a minimum of 2 days and
most likely 3 days before driving on it. We have driven on them in 2 days and
had no problems. We would not do any deliverys tho...

--
for full context, visit http://www.homeownershub.com/mainten...me-367067-.htm

call the concrete supplier or contractor..........

replying to Robert Neville, FlyAsh Forever wrote:
You are correct, they take core samples from Glen Canyon Dam every five years
to compute compressive strength, it was poured in the early 60's and is still
getting harder every test cycle!

--
for full context, visit https://www.homeownershub.com/mainte...me-367067-.htm

replying to Phisherman, Bloopy125 wrote:
Idiot. Concrete and its chemical structure is absolute SCIENCE. A day?!?!?
Try 7-10 days for normal passenger vehicles. You give bad advice and the only
€œart€� to your post is your fabrication of fact.

--
for full context, visit https://www.homeownershub.com/mainte...me-367067-.htm

On Sunday, April 5, 2009 at 7:16:07 AM UTC-5, Gene Bleuler wrote:
I had a new 4" deep concrete driveway poured last week. How long should I
wait before I should drive my sedan on it? What about allowing a small
delivery truck (UPS/FedEx) to pull in?

from 2009 I think the concrete is cured by now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

On 7/15/2018 11:12 PM, wrote:
On Sunday, April 5, 2009 at 7:16:07 AM UTC-5, Gene Bleuler wrote:
I had a new 4" deep concrete driveway poured last week. How long should I
wait before I should drive my sedan on it? What about allowing a small
delivery truck (UPS/FedEx) to pull in?

from 2009 I think the concrete is cured by now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


I'd give it another week, just to be safe.

On 7/15/18 10:30 PM, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
On 7/15/2018 11:12 PM, wrote:
On Sunday, April 5, 2009 at 7:16:07 AM UTC-5, Gene Bleuler wrote:
I had a new 4" deep concrete driveway poured last week. How long
should I
wait before I should drive my sedan on it? What about allowing a small
delivery truck (UPS/FedEx) to pull in?

from 2009 I think the concrete is cured by now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


I'd give it another week, just to be safe.
I hope they added Ca and covered it.