3 Tips For Reducing The Likelihood Of Cracks When Installing A Concrete Driveway On Clay Soil
Concrete driveways are very durable, but installing one on clay soil presents some special challenges. Clay soil expands significantly when it becomes saturated with water after heavy rainfall, and the expanding soil will place pressure on the driveway. Expanding soil underneath the driveway can press upwards on it, causing the driveway to start cracking apart. Thankfully, there are a few tips that can help you minimize the damage that can be caused by expanding clay soil. Below, you'll find three tips that can help you reduce the chance of your new concrete driveway cracking if you have clay soil in your yard.
1. Prepare the Base Well to Keep Clay Away From the Driveway
One of the most important factors in making sure a concrete driveway doesn't crack is the proper preparation of the base. The soil underneath the driveway needs to be excavated and compacted, and then it needs to be filled with gravel or crushed concrete. Using a porous material like gravel or crushed concrete for the base will provide excellent drainage, preventing expanding clay soil underneath the driveway from pressing up on it and causing it to crack.
2. Use Fiber-Reinforced Concrete
Even with no clay soil underneath the driveway, it's still subjected to the force of the clay soil adjacent to it expanding when it becomes saturated with water. Adding fiber to the concrete mix will provide it with extra reinforcement, lessening the chance it will crack. Fiber-reinforced concrete contains numerous strands of synthetic fibers such as nylon that will bind to the small sand aggregate in the concrete mix. The fiber strands help keep the concrete together when expanding soil tries to twist it apart, reducing the risk that it will crack. Adding fibers to the concrete mix is inexpensive, and helps it better withstand shearing forces.
3. Slope the Driveway Away From Your Home
When you're installing a concrete driveway in a yard with clay soil, you should also make sure it slopes away from your home. This may require re-grading your yard slightly in order to provide the proper slope for the driveway. Keeping the driveway sloped away from your home will cause water to drain into the street rather than pooling near the sides of the driveway or draining near your home's foundation. Keeping water away from the driveway minimizes the chance that it'll be damaged by expanding clay soil, and stopping water from flowing towards your home's foundation will make sure that it isn't damaged by expanding soil either.
If you have clay soil in your yard and you're installing a concrete driveway, it's a good idea to find a residential driveway paving service that will follow the above tips. Clay soil can be harsh on concrete driveways unless steps are taken to mitigate the fact that it expands significantly when it becomes saturated with water. With proper installation, your new concrete driveway will have a minimal chance of cracking, allowing it to stay beautiful for a long time.
For more information, contact a local residential concrete driveway paving company.
