Little help please….
I want to put a 30′ by 30′ slab down in my mostly level back yard in Northern Virginia for a hoops court. I’m looking for suggestions regarding best footing, depth, underlayment material, rules of thumb for section sizes. Can anyone recommend a good source of information for how how to best pursue this? Is this something for a novice to attempt?
Thanks.
Replies
Spend your time finding a reputable local concrete contractor. Then, let them do the work. 900 sf of concrete is alot of work, even to those of us who like working in the stuff. Probably a little big for a do it your self job, unless you're quite experienced. But, if you're in need of a good workout, go for it. Good luck!
Brudoggie
here try that for info. http://www.concretenetwork.com/
Thanks.
Thanks.
I certainly think you should not considering trying to finish it yourself. Getting a good finish on a slab is an art, and I know of no one who has mastered it on the first try. I am starting construction on a 30'x40' slab and plan on doing the excavation, building forms, placing and compacting the gravel fill, and placing the rebar. I will definitely hire someone else to supervise the pour and the finishing. I worked as a concrete laborer in college, so at least have some dim memories of what I am up against... (I would say that getting a few of your buddies over for beer and concrete finishing is a sure receipt for disaster...)
You will need to decide if you want footings/curtain walls or some type of frostproof construction to guard against frost heaving (may not be important in your area). You need to decide on the type and spacing of reinforcement, probably rebar, and what you want for crack control - possibly fibers and shallow cuts in the concrete after it is poured. You will need to be able to construct your forms to avoid blowout and level your forms to give the proper amount of slope for drainage. You will need to decide how to anchor the goal posts. (If it was me, I would rig some may so they could be removed and replaced readily while still remaining solidly rigid. It might also be neat to allow attachment points for the mounting or tennis, badmitten, or volleyball standards on/in the slab to allow for alternative sports with the goal posts removed.) You will also need to decide the strength and setting time of the concrete, as well as the appropriate finish, but that will probably be done in consultation with the finishing contractor.
What I found was that there was very little information for the DIYer on constructing slabs. I found an old army concrete manual that gave some good info and looked at a couple of $80 concrete technology books that were not particularly useful for what I wanted.
The following are not particularly great links, but they may give you some ideas:
http://www.angelfire.com/id/clare/page11.html
http://www.truecourt.com/q-n-a.htm
http://www.onthehouse.com/wp/19960617
and if you decide to bail on the job and buy a court...
http://www.sportcourtgamecourt.com/technology.html
Thanks.
Think about pouring a full perimiter footing, and locate it such that when kids are gone, etc, you can then build on it, either a parking garage or workshop.
That's a good idea....that's not a mistake, it's rustic
Thanks.