Several factors may determine how much weight a residential concrete driveway can safely support. For example, how thick should the concrete be? In general, four to six inches is sufficient for the average family vehicle. However, large vehicles, such as RVs, need a thicker slab. Therefore, most contractors pour residential concrete driveways between four and six inches thick. The thickness of the concrete should be based on the type of vehicle that will be using the driveway and its intended use.
Residential Properties
In most residential applications, 3,000-4,000 psi concrete is sufficient. For commercial purposes, however, a concrete driveway containing 5,000-6,000 psi is more appropriate. The strength of concrete used in residential driveways is four to six inches, making them strong enough to support an 8,000-pound vehicle. However, a fully loaded concrete truck can weigh as much as 70,000 pounds!
In addition to the maximum weight limit, concrete driveways should have expansion joints to handle excessive loads. This is because heavy vehicles often exert excessive pressure on the surface of concrete driveways, causing potholes, breaks, and cracks. Hence, it is important to have expansion joints on long driveways. If the concrete thickness is greater than six inches, it may be necessary to add a rebar. However, two to three inches of asphalt is enough for daily use.
The weight capacity of asphalt driveways depends on the thickness and granular base aggregate used for the surface. Generally, asphalt driveways require two to three inches of asphalt. Asphalt driveways should be layered with six to eight inches of granular-based aggregate. The granular base aggregate should be incorporated into the soil beneath. It is important to note that a residential asphalt driveway can hold up to 8,000 pounds of weight.
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