Had a concrete apron crack 3 days after pouring last month

Tbh I'm still pissed about it. Poured a driveway apron for a house in Austin on a Friday, did everything by the book, and Monday morning there's a hairline running right through the middle. I think the mix was too wet from the plant and I didn't catch it in time. Anyone else had to deal with a batch that just didn't hold up?

3 comments

3 Comments

morganhill22d ago

3 days after pouring" sounds like the ground wasn't compacted deep enough.

jamesm4821d ago

Not sure "compacted deep enough" is really the smoking gun here. I've seen plenty of slabs crack weeks later that had perfect prep work underneath. Sometimes concrete just does what it wants and blaming the ground feels like a stretch.

eric72321d agoTop Commenter

Concrete just doing what it wants huh? Sounds like it's got a mind of its own, maybe it needs a therapist instead of a rebar grid. Look, I've seen slabs crack from a stubborn ant colony under the pour so blaming the ground isn't always a stretch, but three days in is pretty quick for a temper tantrum. Maybe the mix was too wet or it dried uneven, but compacting deeper wouldn't hurt either. How many times have we heard "perfect prep" turn out to be a six inch tamp and a prayer? Call me old fashioned but I'd rather overdo the compaction than gamble on concrete's mood that day.