where to get small bits of rebar (say 3")

[Harry Davis]

What kind of place stocks small bits of rebar, say about 3" long, that I need for the concrete slab I'm doing?

Thanks!

Harry

[Bill]

In message , Harry Davis writes

When I have needed similar I have just paid a visit to the nearest building site and chatted to one of the workers there, preferably on a Saturday when the management are not about, and asked for an off cut. 9 times out of 10 the response has been "help yourself" I needed a 10' length of scaffold tube recently, including the walk to the site it took all of 15 minutes to get it and be back where I needed it.

Must be a very small slab if you only want 3 inches though!!

[Harry Davis]

Bill wrote in news:vfNli2On $ [e-mail]:

Thanks Bill! I think I'm missing something here! I've got 3 small slabs, each about 2m^2. Beginner that I am, I thought it would be OK to rough up the surface, drill holes for bits of rebar, bang them in vertically, and pour in 3" of concrete. Having now read sites where people redoing their driveways are using lengths of rebar several metres long, I've realised I need to...er...learn some more!! I'd be grateful if you or someone else could tell me how do this job properly!

Harry

[Roger Mills]

If you Google for "rebar in concrete slab", you'll find plenty of advice.

The bars reinforce the concrete and stop it cracking when loads are applied. Short pieces put in vertically would achieve diddly squat!

[newshound]

In that case it's probably easiest to put a sheet of suitable weldmesh into each, available from steel stockists, people who supply building materials particularly to the farm or light industrial trades. The key questions are, how solid is your substrate, and what sort of load do you need to carry. That will determine what thickness you need, and how much reinforcement, to prevent cracking. Are you planning to drive over this?

[dennis]

Look up weld mess. You can throw some in to make the slab stronger. However steel needs a minimum amount of concrete cover to stop it rusting and blowing the concrete off.

[F Murtz]

I thought that was something an inexperienced welder would make.

[Harry Davis]

newshound wrote in news:503e62ed$0$28060$c3e8da3$ [e-mail]:

Thanks for this. The substrate is concrete, which has shifted over the decades but which is not moving now. This is in the front garden, and the only load it will take from the top is the weight of an occasional person walking over it.

Harry

[Man at B&Q]

He was talking about himself.

MBQ

[newshound]

"Genuine" rebar is way OTT in that case. Now I see why you were thinking about "pinning". If you are sure your substrate is no longer moving I think I would just cast on top of that.

[newshound]

True, but eBay "rebar" and you will find a supplier of reasonably priced "stainless" rebar to overcome this problem

[newshound]

Or of course use galvanised mesh