What Concreting Specialists Can Do to Prevent Premature Cracking of Your Newly Installed Commercial Concrete Driveway

Concrete driveways are favoured for use in commercial areas because of their durable nature. If you are thinking about installing a concrete driveway on your commercial property, you should ensure the job is performed professionally. One of the common concrete driveway issues you can avoid with a professional installation is early formation of cracks. The sight of cracks is usually one of the earliest signs that the concrete surface is deteriorating. 

Even though cracks are bound to appear on any concrete driveway at some point, this is not a problem you should have to deal with early on. Here is a look at what a commercial concreting specialist can do to ensure that the surface of your newly installed concrete driveway remains crack free for as long as possible.

Ensuring the soil below is properly compacted

For any newly installed concrete surface to remain intact, the soil on which concrete mix is poured (referred to as the subgrade soil) must be properly impacted. If the subgrade soil is loose, it may settle, and this will cause cracks to develop on the surface of the concrete, as the concrete structure adjusts to the movement. The first line of protection that a professional concreter will provide to prevent premature cracking is proper compaction of the subgrade soil to ensure the foundation of your driveway is stable. 

Using properly mixed concrete mix

Concrete mix comprises cement, sand, aggregate and water. For the concrete mix to form a hard surface that can remain crack free for years and years, it is important to ensure that each of the components in the mix is in the right proportion. A concreting specialist will ensure that there is neither too much nor too little cement, sand, aggregate or water in the concrete mix. This will help ensure your concrete driveway remains free of cracks for a lengthy period.

Incorporating control joints in the concrete

Since concrete tends to crack as it dries, a phenomenon referred to as dry shrinkage, cracks are bound to form in the concrete. The good news is that concreters can influence the location of the cracks by incorporating concrete joints where expansion and contraction takes place. This way, cracking will occur within the joints, instead of cracks appearing sporadically in the concrete.

Allowing the concrete to cure properly

To prevent premature cracking, freshly poured concrete mix must be allowed adequate time to cure properly. This may involve making sure the concrete does not lose water too quickly, for example. Concreters can achieve this by covering the surface of the concrete with water-retaining material, like plastic sheets, to regulate water loss.  

For more information about how to prevent cracks in your cement driveway, talk to specialists like Liquid Rock Constructions Pty Ltd

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