I am in the process of pouring a section of sidewalk, have it formed it with 2×4 material, sand base and compacted, ect… Now a thought, do I bring the level of sand up to the bottom of the 2×4 form, giving me a 3 1/2″ pour, (with of a 2×4). Or do I screed the sand down to a level for a 4″ pour? I have the sides of the forms build up with some clay type soil to help the forms. Or is a 3 1/2″ sidewalk refered to as a 4″ Or am I cornering myself with the unnessary.
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In my humble and not so well informed opinion, yes.
To your last Q.
SamT
3.5" CC is refered to as 4"....
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It might depend. I've had to repair sidewalks in a subdivision in NJ, the sort of situation that the town inspects. They wanted a full 4 in. and certified class B (5,000 psi) concrete. But that's NJ, The Over-Regulated State. If it's your own backyard, then 3.5 in. is likely fine.
Andy
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around here we use treated 1x4 with the metal pins that have nail holes in them.
If it's not going to be inspected, and it likely isn't, it doesn't really matter. But you'll not really hurt yourself by going a little deeper. Put some control joints in there.
How far apart should the joints be? Best to cut them in with a saw before concrete cures or use a tool??
I usually try to stay around 3 feet. I believe you're supposed to make your control joints form areas that are as square as possible, so if your sidewalk is 3 feet wide, put control joints every 3 feet.
You can increase or decrease the joint spacing so all of the panels are are the same width. With a thickness of 4", you should make your joints about an inch deep. I prefer to saw cut the joints the next day...but if a groover is cheaper or free, use that.
A side note is IMO - don't pour your concrete on sand - it will suck the moisture out of the concrete and weaken it. If the sand is already there, put down some plastic sheeting and then pour on top of that. 3.5" thickness is adequate, unless it will see any vehicle traffic (driveway apron) in which case our local municipalities require 6" - and it is inspected. Your mileage may vary.