I had a new concrete driveway poured about 5 days ago . I waited 24 hours then have been misting it with a hose 3 times a day ( except for rain of course ) . The weather has been overcast more or less and the temps have been ranging for 50-68 degrees F. How long should I wait before drive on it with a full size pickup truck ( unloaded ) . I want to use the driveway ASAP but don't want to take any unessary risk .
Hi, I used driveway after 1 week with 8000 lbs. 5th wheel trailer. That was 10 years ago and driveway is still OK. No problem. Tony
About 25 years ago, we blasted a flat spot into some solid granite on a lot near Burnet, TX. and set up forms for a driveway with great difficulty. We used #4 rebar in a grid pattern, 16" OC each way. Poured 5,000 PSI concrete 5" thick. Waited 5 days and drove large trucks over it with no problems.
Had a neighbor that poured 3,000 PSI concrete 3" thick with WW mesh. Wet it down for a week after the pour. He did NO surface prep, didn't even remove the carpet grass under the slab. Cracked the first time he drove on it with his Geo metro.
Go figure.
Concrete is an chemical reaction, which is slowed by cooler weather. If it was my driveway I would wait at least 7 days.
I would not put heavy load on it for at least a week, during which time it should be kept moist.
One of the first expressways, the Davison in Detroit, was let to cure for one year, and lasted 50 years.
Wait at least a week, but as long as you can after that, up to 14 days. You should be able to drive on it in a week. I just like to hold off until I really need to get on it.
We have driven on driveways after 3 days with no problems, but I would not recommend it.
Too late now but your best bet for a good cure was to water it heavily and the cover with plastic so it would stay moist constantly. After 5 days it isn't going to much harder. If you really need to drive on it, then put down sheets of 3/4" plywood to spread the load. 3/4" plywood will protect lawn from an empty pickup.
Concrete cures to it's full hardness in 28 days assuming proper conditions (temp., proper watering, etc).
Are you sure they were letting it sit for a year just to cure? Or were they still working on it?
Are you sure you don't mean nominal hardness? I thought that concrete normally kept hardening for years, asymptopically approaching some ultimate value, and that the 28-days was just the standard to which they test the stuff.. So that 5000psi concrete is called that because it hardens to 5000psi in 28 days...
--Goedjn
That is correct. With most types of concrete, it cures to its rated capacity in 28 days. It will continue to cure for about 100 years, according to the experts. Some types are different (high-early comes to mind, but for the most part, 28 days is the norm.
hi, my driveway is 6"; after just 5 days some knockheads pulled in (ran over my cones) on a small Toyota truck. What kind of damages are we talking about here? what signs should I look for? thanks!
Are there any cracks from it? If not, then don't worry about it.
A crack would be the usual sign...
Doubt a little Toy is going to damage a slab that has been curing for 5 days.
Might be a bit concerned if the delivery truck pulled onto the slab with a full load of shingles, but a bitty pickup? Nah....
Bruises, broken arm, bullet holes. Oh, you mean the slab. If you don't see any obvious damage, then damage is unlikely. 5 days curing in temperatures above 40 will support a small truck just fine. Heck, two days at higher temps would probably be ok.
thanks all for allaying some of my fear.. came out this morning to check on it-definite permanent tire marks on where the truck was moving. It's been raining and cold (SF bay area) so I'm concerned the concrete didn't have time to set. Didn't see any cracks but where could it crack? I mean it's a 20x50 ft driveway; it's not a sidewalk.
Tire marks? As in "impressions in the concrete", as opposed to "black marks from the tires"? Seems pretty unlikely after five days of cure time. Rain shouldn't cause a problem (concrete *likes* "wet" when curing), and, IIRC, "cold" in the Bay Area is still usually above 40F.
As to the "where" of cracking, a properly designed slab will first crack along the joints (as designed). No contractor worth beans is going to pour a 20x50 slab without a few joints in there. Over time, you'll get cracking along other parts of the slab (take a look at pretty much any >10 year old residential driveway).
replying to Tony, peter cholewinski wrote: Concrete does not cure to full strength in 28 days. 28 days is an arbitrary number agreed by industry as a time to check psi. 75% strength in 7 days for most mix designs
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