[AT] Concrete slab

[Len Rugen]

My FIL was a Arkansas rock mason by trade.  They build with native 
sandstone.  He did a lot of misc. flat work with his mortor mixer a section 
at a time.  It's been a long time since I helped mix mud, but I think 
masonry cement is mixed 1 part cement to 2 parts sand and water to taste. 
Concrete was 1 portland, 2 sand and 3 gravel.  The gravel was usually clean 
river rock, crushed lime may be "sandy" and you need to adjust the sand down 
a little.

All the concrete on the farm was probably batch mixed, some didn't last 
because of either no footing or rats excaveted below.  Some is OK after 
nearly 100 years.  The footings had aggregate the size of footballs to 
stretch the portland!

My shop (18' x 18') had a batch mixed slab but no steel.  It has cracked and 
frost heaves on the north side.  I have to tilt the inside sliding door 
inward when it's frozen.  Another problem was that they didn't corner brace 
around the sliding door and I have a /___/ shaped shop instead of |___|. 
That makes the doors taller too.

 

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