Concrete is known for its durability and resilience, but it isnt infallible. One problem that can occur with concrete is cracking, and when that happens, it can pose structural issues for the concrete, as well as having a detrimental effect on its appearance.
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In this article, were going to look at the process of laying a rebar for your concrete and how that can help.
Rebar is placed in increments of one foot, and theyre placed one foot apart. This means that you need to think of the wider picture when laying your rebar. As an example, lets say you need rebar for a space that is 6ft2 you will need four pieces of rebar for each section, and each section will be spaced one foot apart, meaning you need 16 pieces of rebar for the 6ft2 space. This also applies to the height of the space that requires the rebar.
You should start by placing your rebar a foot away from the sides of the space. Once in position, you can ensure the rebar is firmly in place by hitting it into the concrete with a mallet. Making sure to keep the rebar as level as possible, you should place each piece one foot apart. Repeat this process until youve laid all the necessary rebar.
Tying the rebar is crucial to ensuring the rebar stays in place and functions as it should. There are different ways to go about tying your rebar: saddle ties and figure 8 ties. Well run through these ties now:
Pass the wire behind the rear bar, and then across the front one. Then, you should pass it back through behind the rear bar and then again past the front one. It is then time to twist the ends together, cut the feed wire from your spool and bend the cut ends so they cant become untied.
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A figure of 8 tie is a fairly simple, self explanatory one, but you should pull the wire around the rear of the bar, then diagonally across the front, around the rear again and then diagonally across the front in the opposite direction. Twist the wire together, cut it from the spool and bend the ends backwards.
When tying your rebar together, you must do it so that the rebar is strong enough to withstand somebody stepping on it when its suspended over some concrete. When the rebar is in position, you should hold it in place while the concrete is poured over it. You can use rebar chairs for this; make sure you position them at intervals that do not allow the rebar to bend.
When you have correctly applied rebar to your concrete, youll be left with a surface that is even stronger, and it was strong to start with.
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They won't tell you it wont crack because there are just too many variables. Poor preparation, shrinkage, a bad mix, etc. etc. The variables are even more of an issue when you get into a DIY situation. If I get called to place and finish a slab or floor for someone where I have not done the grading, compaction and underfill, all bets are off. The concrete is only as good as what you're putting it on and even if you rebar the daylights out of it you still can't be sure it wont just settle off level in one big chunk.
Ok, all that said, I've seen plenty of slabs that are decades old with no cracks in them. The one in my garage is nominal 4 inch psi mix on 6 inches of crushed stone, been there 31 years, one small hairline, no rebar, no welded wire. The only thing I know for sure about this one is that we puddled the crap out of it for days before we placed the stone and since the hairline exhibits no "lippage" from one side of the crack to the other, I'm gonna chalk it up to shrinkage. The stuff shrinks more than you would think. Take a look around the junction between your basement or crawl space walls and the floor... I't not uncommon to see a sixteenth of an inch space. Very interesting discussion and thank you to the guy who provided references to the technical publications about concrete reinforcement.
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