How Do You Make A Concrete Slab For Heavy Loads?
Concrete slabs are useful for everything from recreational patios to surfaces for hot tubs and outdoor air compressors. Sometimes it’s enough to simply pour a four-inch-thick layer of concrete and let it dry, as for an outdoor patio. But occasionally you need a pad that can handle an unusually heavy load. For example, a six-person hot tub can easily put 6,000 pounds of pressure on an eight foot by eight foot area. In that case, you need to pour your slab with a footer around it for extra strength and support. Stake out the area you want to cover with your slab, and run twine between each stake to form a perimeter. Excavate the entire area with your shovel about six inches deep. Use the level to make sure the ground is roughly level. Dig a trench at the outer perimeter of the excavated area that’s one foot deep and 18 inches wide. Tamp down the ground in the middle and the ground in the trench until the soil is solid. Build forms inside the trench using the 2-by-10 lumber, standing the
