Concrete thickness

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77 Ford
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Concrete thickness

Post by 77 Ford » Fri Aug 14, 2015 7:23 am

I'm going to build a bay to work on my little 450c loader in my next barn. I know some people leave it gravel so the tracks do not break down the concrete does anyone have any success with actual concrete that will stand up?

I was wondering about pouring something 6 or 8" but I hate to waste the money if it's still going to get tore up.

Thanks!
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whiteclipse16
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Post by whiteclipse16 » Fri Aug 14, 2015 8:11 am

I've known many people and power plant shops that set an I-beam in the concrete with the top plate of the beam being flush with the finished concrete. When you pull the dozer in, you're actually putting the weight on the beam. Works very well.
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Post by Lavoy » Fri Aug 14, 2015 11:14 am

My shop is 5" six bag mix and has had more crawlers than I can count driven in it. Granted not as heavy as yours, but the PSI is the same. I have very little damage that is crawler related other than being dumb enough to let them put saw cuts in there. At every cut, the grousers break off the sides of the cut. I spend a lot of hours filling back in all of those saw cuts. I would never again let anyone put saw cuts in a shop floor. I know the purpose, but how come the cracks go where they want any how, no sense wasting the money.
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Post by gus » Fri Aug 14, 2015 12:42 pm

Get a heavy angle iron and weld cleats inside and put it into the edge of the concrete when you pour (the edge you drive in on). It will prevent chipping the edges.

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77 Ford
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Post by 77 Ford » Mon Aug 17, 2015 6:46 am

All great suggestions, thank you.

Sounds like 6" with some angle at the edge is the ticket. I was thinking at one time of embedding a 2x12 flat where the tracks would ride to give it some shock resistance.

Now I just have to clear a spot for the shop, good thing I own a track loader!
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Lu47Dan
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Post by Lu47Dan » Tue Aug 25, 2015 6:43 pm

6" floor with 2 X 12's where the tracks run should be good enough.
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Post by pop pop » Wed Aug 26, 2015 5:58 am

the underlayment, as well as the compaction of all the underlayment is important.
not to mention footings.
as for the edge that will be driven across, a large, slooping bullnose with rebar in it.(or an additional abuttment (approach) with footing and rebar will keep the pressure off the slab's edge.)

6" will be plenty if you get the previously mentioned right.
dont forget, cure time. some say 30-60 days.
i wouldnt put anything "into " the floor just for a 450, you can always put a board on top for "piece of mind".

use 3500# or better, consider steel mesh, exspansion seam if against another slab, if matching to a slab then other things prevail.

it can be a science situation or you can just dump it and level it out with a scoop.
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Post by CuttingEdge » Wed Mar 16, 2016 9:36 am

I am late to the party (as I always am), but maybe for those that read this and probably haven't started pouring concrete yet, is to consider radiant floor heat as well. If you are going to lay half the day on a concrete floor, having it warm takes some of the drudgery out of it.

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Post by mapaduke@yahoo.com » Wed Mar 16, 2016 3:43 pm

I put cheep plywood down, once the crawler is up on jack stands I can pick them up and stand them in the corner.
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Post by Paul Buhler » Wed Mar 16, 2016 6:41 pm

At the ski are a where I work, we bring 15000# machines into the shop regularly with caulk,ice spikes to boot. The floor here is 6" thick, rebar and mesh reinforced, with a 2"x 2" 1/4" steel nosing at the door's edge. So far the floor has held up well over the 30+ years that I've been in this department. I don't know the compressive force of the concrete mix, but suspect it was a dry one. We used to use 2x12 planks, but no longer do and the floor is fine - just the surface is chewed up. A creeper can roll just fine if you like a bumpy ride. I'd go with this system. Use a strong compressive mix designed to chip minimally.
BTW, I have radiant heat in my home's floor, and think that it is a good idea for a shop too. Not too expensive if part of the original install, and a warm floor makes being on a creeper just that much nicer.
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Post by Ray III » Fri Aug 05, 2016 4:17 pm

I have seen the concrete cut diagonally, this might be a good idea to prevent the chipping from grousers. Or drive over them at an angle, but turning dozers will scratch up concrete unless it has a hardened surface.

Machines with semigrouser pads (3 short grousers) are pretty much a non issue, they track excavators right across the new blacktop at housing developments.

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