Advice for pouring cement

[Byershome]

Unless you are talking about a slab that is going to carry a heavy structural load such as a warehouse or something similar Fiber is the better option... . why? Because in the real world the wire ends up on the ground and is never lifted up or worse up at the top and you cut it when you cut your CJ into the slab... thus leaving nothing holding it together. Nor will the fiber separate when you cut the CJ's. Personal experience demoing slabs that had fiber in them speaking here. In the ideal world wire would be best, in the real world fiber for low load slabs/houses is ideal. My garage slab is 36 by 24 with metal keyway at 12 foot centers in both directions ... ... ... ... 10 years and not one crack. And yeah I park my one ton, Cummins and all, on it every night :-laf

 

[tractorface]

Cement Trucks Here!!

Lot of Italians here eh! :-laf

 

[JPope]

Interesting comments here on fibermesh versus no fibermesh, rebar etc.



As the discussion seems now to be over SOG, slab on grade, the main support for this system is the subgrade below, which is why the civil engineers, structural engineers, now do thicker SOG, >8" or so, with no reinforcement at all!!!

Check out ACI, American concrete Institute, manuals (sort of like an encyclopedia set) for a lot of information.



Fibermesh has had a troubling problem with whiskers protruding from the slab in many cases, creating other potential issues.



And like many things discussed here, different problems, different solutions, and in some cases they all work, some cases they work for some and not for others?



Also when you deal with concrete, it can crack not matter what you do, what type of reinforcing you place; size, locations, and timing, of cutting joints or other means of controlling cracks. You are trying to minimize cracking, but sometimes it just cracks? You know POO Happens!!!!

 

[Hawkeye 04]

My garage slab is 36 by 24 with metal keyway at 12 foot centers in both directions ... ... ... ... 10 years and not one crack. And yeah I park my one ton, Cummins and all, on it every night :-laf[/QUOTE]



The fact that you have the metal keyways it the reason it hasn't cracked. It can expand and contract as much as it will without pulling away from its self. Therefore no cracks. What you have is a very good setup if it's been poured right. I've seen guys use those metal keys and not bring the concrete all the way to the top! Kinda defeats the purpose if you keep tripping over it.



As far as your impression of the fiber versus rebar, I understand totally where you are coming from. That's why I insist my guys suspend rebar with spacers to insure proper placement.



However as far as the fibers not breaking; I wish that was the case here! I've fixed quite a few slabs that others poured with just fiber and it pulled apart and dropped as if there wasn't anything in it. Not that I mind, brings me more work!