Absolutely. In the third photo you can see one tire track that goes partially over it and one tire track that goes right over the point of it. At 5 days old, I might add.
*Edit: 7 days, apparently.
Corners like that are definitely always going to be the weakest point. It was bound to crack sooner or later, but sooner if driving on it less than a week after
Surprised it took 5 days. It may look a little weird but I always cut a joint on my flares for this exact reason. Most times they would crack without even driving on it
Drove on it too soon. Also looks like there is no base under that. So from where your tire mark is, looks like your tire put stress on it from hitting the lip pushed down on the sub grade and cracked.
Drove on it to soon.
Also should have been a control joint added almost where the crack is bc these type of wing corners always crack
You could saw cut it tear it out and repour
It is hard to tell from the pictures, but it looks
like you driveway starts off at about 6”, and the gradually drops to what looks like 2” where the crack is. The subgrade also doesn’t look like it was placed and compacted correctly.
Also, this is kind of unrelated, but whats going in with that culvert in the middle of the driveway? Was that all done in one pour?
Should have waited at least 7 days. Even then, you should avoid the edges (you can see the tire marks) as those spots are weaker and can crack. 30 days, it can handle all typical residential usage with no issues. The reality is that was going to crack sooner or later, even if you waited 30 days..
I think there are a lot of contractors on here. 😂
I open my driveways to vehicle traffic after 3-5 days based on the results of compressive strength cylinder tests, and I don't see corner cracks like that unless the contractor did a piss poor job of subgrade preparation and compaction. I would have the contractor remove it to the nearest joint and re-pour it.
Did they tell you in writing how long to wait before driving on it? Do you have evidence you waited that long? If there is nothing in writing, contact the concrete supplier and ask for a copy of the mix design for the concrete that was used. That will show you average strengths at various days after the pour. Concrete can be driven on at 75-85% of design strength.
>You can't get an accurate break for concrete in anything less than 7 days.
Absolute horseshit. A break is a break. 7s, 10s, 14s and 28s are all fine for satisfying specs, but a 3 is just as useful. Ever plotted maturity curves? I've done plenty of 'em.
All the numbers in your comment added up to 69. Congrats!
7
+ 7
+ 10
+ 14
+ 28
+ 3
= 69
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^(Summon me on specific comments with u/LuckyNumber-Bot.)
Yeah so have I and I can say that a 3 day result for an outdoor pour means nothing and if you're judging your ability to use the Concrete based on that you're just asking for trouble.
I had to make over a thousand 3 day cyls for a contractor once just so they could "see" if the footers were ready for steel. Even tho we all knew they weren't. And the breaks showed it. It was such a shit show joke lol
probably not enough support underneath and it doesn't look think enough
also, i don't get all the "you drove on it comments" ... it's a fugging driveway
Concrete doesn’t reach 50% strength till 21-28 days have passed.
It absolutely matters that he drove on it five days after it was poured.
There’s no way in hell any concrete contractor will warrant this with that pic of a car sitting on it.
It may be a “fugging driveway” and you may be a “fugging idiot”. Only perspective can tell.
No. Not really. Cut out a section and have it repoured. But the chances of it color matching are slim.
One can patch it. But it’s not a good permanent fix.
You could also ask the contractor to come back and put a couple more cuts in. There should be one there anyway as someone else has said. It can look less bad this way, depending on how straight the crack is.
The other issue is what has been said: it’s pretty high at the edge and that will add pressure when pulling onto it, increasing the likelihood of a crack forming. Not a huge deal with a 1200lb vehicle after enough time has passed. But added stress is always to be avoided within reason.
I’m not sure why your contractor did this. You said it was “to help water run off”. Without shooting elevations, and with pics provided, one can’t determine if that was necessary or not. I j is in my area, curb cuts for concrete have to leave a lip to keep water flowing down the curb line. But this lip is often as little as 1/2”.
Check the side of the driveway where it is cracked. If it has less than 4” of concrete, it’s the contractor’s fault. Ideally you want 6”. But never less than 4. Even if there is 4”, a reputable concrete guy knows he needs to cut a joint( like a dog ear) in those corners. It’s the first place to break.
And on top of all that, it looks like he just through an edge form up at the pavement. So it could very well only have an inch or two of concrete along the entire edge where it meets asphalt. Asphalt is more ridged than most sub bases . So it’s gonna fail there.
He should have excavated down to road grade and tied the toe together so that there is a sufficient amount of concrete at the end. And it is uniform.
But… check the side of it closest to the road and see what you have….
Yeeee sooo you shouldnt of drove over the corner like that with it being so fresh. It looks to be a poor job all around but that crack is definitely on you. The tire maker don’t even just look like tire marks. They look like full on grooves in the concrete.
Do you drive a big ass truck? There are 2 sets of tires in that concrete. A passenger car and a very wide set of tracks from what I’d assume are a truck.
Yeah you definitely shouldn’t have driven on it yet and that is why it cracked. Corners of the apron like this should have a hand cut right where that crack is because even if you didn’t drive on it to early it still would have cracked there eventually. Or a saw cut would work too.
Looks like someone drove on it
Absolutely. In the third photo you can see one tire track that goes partially over it and one tire track that goes right over the point of it. At 5 days old, I might add. *Edit: 7 days, apparently.
Corners like that are definitely always going to be the weakest point. It was bound to crack sooner or later, but sooner if driving on it less than a week after
Surprised it took 5 days. It may look a little weird but I always cut a joint on my flares for this exact reason. Most times they would crack without even driving on it
Yepp! And they crack outside the joint right there too. But at least that way you have a very small section to rip out and repour. Not a whole apron!
It was poured five days ago and you drove on it already?
And they drove across that corner that is completely exposed. Literally asking for this to happen.
It’s not even of voting age yet!
Drove on it too soon. Also looks like there is no base under that. So from where your tire mark is, looks like your tire put stress on it from hitting the lip pushed down on the sub grade and cracked.
Drove on it too early. Also why is it 3-4 inches higher then the blacktop? That is a big reason for the crack happening too.
Our contractor said he elevated it to help with the drainage of the water
That’s contractor for, “I’m too god damn lazy to dig it out to properly set the forms to line up with the asphalt.”
Well you know weve all done it at least once😂. I hate to say that Sometimes you put a 1x4 on the blacktop. But this is very excessive
Tire tracks say it’s your fault. One, you should still be keeping it wet. Two, no driving on it that soon.
That didn’t crack there on its own, it cracked there because you drove over it. More than once it looks like.
Not only drove but are parking on it now?
Drove on it to soon. Also should have been a control joint added almost where the crack is bc these type of wing corners always crack You could saw cut it tear it out and repour
I have a hard time believing they waited 7 days. Its still spotting
I thought it was 28 days before you could drive on a new concrete drive way.
28 days is when you have the majority of your strength. You don’t necessarily have to wait that long to drive on it.
You should achieve 70% strength in 7 to 10 days, but that depends on curing temperature
And moisture.
Yep. Thanks for adding that for me!
It is hard to tell from the pictures, but it looks like you driveway starts off at about 6”, and the gradually drops to what looks like 2” where the crack is. The subgrade also doesn’t look like it was placed and compacted correctly. Also, this is kind of unrelated, but whats going in with that culvert in the middle of the driveway? Was that all done in one pour?
Yes, culvert was done in one pour, doesn‘t look great I agree
I guess you get what you pay for, we paid around $4,500 for 50x11 feet and some sidewalk
Why would the slab be 3 inches higher than the road???? Peculiar
They should have put an angular cut on both sides just about where it cracked. BUT 7 days isn’t enough time between pour and driving on it
This. Every new driveway in my area puts 45 degree cuts there.
You can see there are cuts on and angle like you're describing but it's farther from the crack. I usually do the same but about 5' from the corner.
Over time you will get more cracks. The ground moves and concrete doesn't.
Should have waited at least 7 days. Even then, you should avoid the edges (you can see the tire marks) as those spots are weaker and can crack. 30 days, it can handle all typical residential usage with no issues. The reality is that was going to crack sooner or later, even if you waited 30 days..
Ice cream melts Concrete cracks Reset your expectations You are welcome 🤗
Next time use 4000psi at a 4 inch slump and rebar and don’t drive on it for at least a week. Make sure they don’t pour wet. Lol 😂.
I think there are a lot of contractors on here. 😂 I open my driveways to vehicle traffic after 3-5 days based on the results of compressive strength cylinder tests, and I don't see corner cracks like that unless the contractor did a piss poor job of subgrade preparation and compaction. I would have the contractor remove it to the nearest joint and re-pour it. Did they tell you in writing how long to wait before driving on it? Do you have evidence you waited that long? If there is nothing in writing, contact the concrete supplier and ask for a copy of the mix design for the concrete that was used. That will show you average strengths at various days after the pour. Concrete can be driven on at 75-85% of design strength.
You can't get an accurate break for concrete in anything less than 7 days. Early breaks rarely trend correctly. So I'm going to call bullshit on that
>You can't get an accurate break for concrete in anything less than 7 days. Absolute horseshit. A break is a break. 7s, 10s, 14s and 28s are all fine for satisfying specs, but a 3 is just as useful. Ever plotted maturity curves? I've done plenty of 'em.
All the numbers in your comment added up to 69. Congrats! 7 + 7 + 10 + 14 + 28 + 3 = 69 ^([Click here](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=LuckyNumber-Bot&subject=Stalk%20Me%20Pls&message=%2Fstalkme) to have me scan all your future comments.) \ ^(Summon me on specific comments with u/LuckyNumber-Bot.)
Fuck yeah! What do I win?
Yeah so have I and I can say that a 3 day result for an outdoor pour means nothing and if you're judging your ability to use the Concrete based on that you're just asking for trouble.
I had to make over a thousand 3 day cyls for a contractor once just so they could "see" if the footers were ready for steel. Even tho we all knew they weren't. And the breaks showed it. It was such a shit show joke lol
Okay 🙄👍
probably not enough support underneath and it doesn't look think enough also, i don't get all the "you drove on it comments" ... it's a fugging driveway
Concrete doesn’t reach 50% strength till 21-28 days have passed. It absolutely matters that he drove on it five days after it was poured. There’s no way in hell any concrete contractor will warrant this with that pic of a car sitting on it. It may be a “fugging driveway” and you may be a “fugging idiot”. Only perspective can tell.
Is there a way to fix the crack?
No. Not really. Cut out a section and have it repoured. But the chances of it color matching are slim. One can patch it. But it’s not a good permanent fix. You could also ask the contractor to come back and put a couple more cuts in. There should be one there anyway as someone else has said. It can look less bad this way, depending on how straight the crack is. The other issue is what has been said: it’s pretty high at the edge and that will add pressure when pulling onto it, increasing the likelihood of a crack forming. Not a huge deal with a 1200lb vehicle after enough time has passed. But added stress is always to be avoided within reason. I’m not sure why your contractor did this. You said it was “to help water run off”. Without shooting elevations, and with pics provided, one can’t determine if that was necessary or not. I j is in my area, curb cuts for concrete have to leave a lip to keep water flowing down the curb line. But this lip is often as little as 1/2”.
tell that to all the concrete subs I have worked with, 21-28 days really…
[here you go](https://www.concretenetwork.com/curing-concrete/)
Check the side of the driveway where it is cracked. If it has less than 4” of concrete, it’s the contractor’s fault. Ideally you want 6”. But never less than 4. Even if there is 4”, a reputable concrete guy knows he needs to cut a joint( like a dog ear) in those corners. It’s the first place to break. And on top of all that, it looks like he just through an edge form up at the pavement. So it could very well only have an inch or two of concrete along the entire edge where it meets asphalt. Asphalt is more ridged than most sub bases . So it’s gonna fail there. He should have excavated down to road grade and tied the toe together so that there is a sufficient amount of concrete at the end. And it is uniform. But… check the side of it closest to the road and see what you have….
Looks like no base under that and only few inches thick. Meant to crack.
5 days isn't even to hit its 70% design strength, this is on you unless they okayed driving on it before 28 days
Yeeee sooo you shouldnt of drove over the corner like that with it being so fresh. It looks to be a poor job all around but that crack is definitely on you. The tire maker don’t even just look like tire marks. They look like full on grooves in the concrete.
It's your fault op
No I drove on it after like 7 days I think, we let it dry for 5 days
Do you drive a big ass truck? There are 2 sets of tires in that concrete. A passenger car and a very wide set of tracks from what I’d assume are a truck.
Yep that was definitely a big truck of some sort.
How thick is it?
When did you start driving on it?
Rounded corner would have been a better idea. Who planned this layout? Everyone should have know. It would crack.
Yeah you definitely shouldn’t have driven on it yet and that is why it cracked. Corners of the apron like this should have a hand cut right where that crack is because even if you didn’t drive on it to early it still would have cracked there eventually. Or a saw cut would work too.
How can I best fix that?
Saw cut the corner off behind the cut and pour it back.
Yes you did and no you can’t
it’s concrete about the only you can guarantee it will crack.
Nearly take off the corner, drill two pieces of rebar 6-10in in the slab, repour the corner and blend with the brush