School me on slabs in the pole barn...

[Hogleg]

How much fill and what type (gravel, road pack, etc), how much concrete. Mesh wire or concrete additive for strength? How thick? Vapor barrier?

Barn is 24x40 and heaviest I will have in it is my 9K lb deere utility tractor.

John
 

[barnE]

Call contractor for free estimate. Give him some money for gas and time if you are distant. Dave
 

[David G]

Are you going to heat it?
 

[JerryD]

I have a 30X60 pole barn and I had a concrete floor poured. We put in wire mesh. It's been in for 20 years now and no cracks. I had a 9,000 lb. tractor setting on it for about 10 years and no problems. If you have one poured make sure they pull the wire up off the ground or it will crack. I watched them pour and had to remind them 3 or 4 time to PULL UP THE WIRE. As far as the thickness I think that it was some where around 5-6 inches.
Again PULL UP THE WIRE. Don't leave it flat on the ground.
 

[Puddles]

Before they poured the slab in my shop, 40x48. 24x40 is 10 to 12-inches thick because of the bridge crane. I talked to an engineer friend of mine. He said wire mesh doesn't add any strength to concrete at all, it just keeps it from coming apart after the slab cracks / breaks. Rebar gives concrete strength!

If I had it to do over again I would have required vapor barrier. I don't have a problem with my shop, but the garage 150-feet away does! In the rainy season the garage floor is so wet it looks like the roof leaks! But I stopped that with some Bone Dry. Man I wish I would have had vapor barrier placed under that garage floor! Only problem with vapor barrier is the cement finishers hate it! It takes so long for the cement to start to get hard so they can finish it. The water can not seep into the ground, it has to evaporate, or be raked off the top.

Are you going to tie your post to the slab? I used Heta clips to attach my 6x12 post to the slab.

http://www.strongtie.com/products/connectors/meta-heta-hheta-hetal-detal-tss.asp
 

[Stephen Newell]

The questions you are asking would have different answers depending on the weather and soil where you live. I would go to your nearest town and find out the building specifications for a driveway. You can find this info where you would see about building codes. At the doorway where it would get the most abuse, I would put a beam under the floor like you would put around the parameter of a house.
 

[Danny.P]

I built a 24x36 and wanted to build it to last the rest of my life. I put down plastic for a vapor barrier then I put rebar on a 2' center running both directions then I put wire on top of that and tied it to the rebar. I put the little rebar stands around in a few places to hold it off of the plastic so the concrete could get under it to. I used old power line poles and before I poured the concrete I wrapped the bottom of them with flashing to keep the concrete from touching the poles. I've been told and from what I've seen it's true that a pole will rot where the concrete touches it.All metal roof and siding.
 

[randallinMo]

Put in 4-6 inches of "road pack" and compact it. Put down a vapor barrier. Pour your concrete 5-6 inches think and use #4 rebar on 2'centers. WIre mesh is junk. Pour a "6 bag mix". "Heaviest thing I"ll ever have in there is a 9000 lb tractor".......yeah right. You'll never bust this floor.
 

[Fred from MO]

Use clean base rock and make sure its compacted well. Use rebar on 2 foot centers, however the rebar does not do its job if its lying on the bottom of the poor. Rebar should be 1/2 to 3/4 from the bottom of the top for the most strenght. Do not use wire mesh for strenght. You can wire the rebar together to keep it from moving around on you. Picture a checker board of rebar on your pad for instance. A good way to keep the floor level is to use a marked piece of rebar measured to the rest of your pad thickness and drive it into the ground as a depth marker. Pull it when you get the floor level but before its set of course!
 

[Hogleg]

Looks like the MO boys are putting out good advice this morning...thanks.

Fred - what do you mean by clean base rock. We get road pack here they cal CA6 - basically rock form 1" on down with lots of fines. Compacts nice.

Was thinking that since the barn will be erected in mid-oct, put the base in for the winter and then work on the rebar and pour in the later spring.

Also, was thinking of a frost-free faucet in the building, maybe coming up thru the floor. What if I ever have to go down to fix it in the ground? Maybe have it close to a side and leave a 2ft square gravel area around it that can be dug out if necessary, and leaves a place for water to drain? Should I just plan to keep it outside?
 

[David G]

Clean rock has no fines.
 

[montana griz]

i agree with Jerry D, i poured a 30x45 shed with only wire mesh, 90 degrees in the summer and 30 below in the winter and not a crack or heave in it
 

[Dusty MI]