Barn slab with skid steer travelling on it

[Jmeng1026]

For a 40'x80' slab that will have a skid steer driving on it multiple times per day would you recommend going with a 6" slab instead of a 4" slab? Would you use rebar instead of 6x6 woven wire mesh?

The skid steer with the weight it is carrying would be around 15,000 lbs.

Thank you for the help.

 

[Aesur]

I suggest you look into the actual slab design based on soil properties and the loading specified. A great resource, if you can find a copy, is Designing Floor Slabs on Grade 2nd edition. If it were me, I would go with the thicker slab and rebar in lieu of WWF, however I would need to calculate the thickness based on soil properties, namely soil modulus.

 

[BAretired]

I agree with Aesur. "Designing Floor Slabs on Grade" 2nd edition can be downloaded in PDF format.

There is a less comprehensive PCA publication called "Concrete Floors on Ground" which is also available in PDF format.

 

[SlideRuleEra]

Also, see "Concrete Floor Slabs on Grade Subjected to Heavy Loads".

Spoiler: Assuming the skid steer is scraping up loads off the slab and you want the slab to last, forget the 4" slab. The question will be:
Is 6" with rebar thick enough? If so, how much rebar and / or doweled joints?

As Aesur and BA mentioned, soil properties, quality of subgrade preparation, and site drainage will make those decisions for you.

 

[JoelTXCive]

I have a side note. There is nothing inherently wrong with welded wire mesh (WWM) mats versus traditional rebar. As long as you get the same area of steel it's performance is the same. In theory, the WWM should resist cracking more than traditional rebar since the steel is more uniformly spread out in the concrete.

BUT....... I have a preference for traditional rebar. In my experience, you are more likely to get construction errors with the WWM. In my area, I think it is common that the mat of WWM gets squished down into the dirt below your concrete by the concrete finishers, which renders it ineffective. I have busted out many panels of driveways and channel lining; and the rusty WWM mats have clearly been pushed down below the concrete.

 

[RontheRedneck]

In my experience the compaction of whatever is under the slab is much more important than the thickness of the slab.