Residential concreting specification
The difference between concrete that lasts and concrete that cracks is written into the parts nobody photographs. This page publishes ours, so any quote can be checked against it line by line.
Standard
Residential work is carried out with reference to AS 3727.1. Crossovers follow Maroondah City Council's drawings, MCC-501 for residential crossings, and where those drawings and this page disagree at the crossover, the drawings win.
Preparation and base
Nothing gets poured on ground that has not been corrected. Old surfaces come out, soft spots and organics are dug away, and crushed rock goes in compacted where the site calls for it. On the foothills clay, which swells wet and shrinks dry, that base work and the drainage set the slab's life span; extra thickness sets nothing.
Membrane and reinforcement
Where conditions require a membrane, one goes down. Steel mesh is chaired at mid-slab in every pour, positioned to restrain cracking rather than lying on the ground beneath it.
Driveways
Passenger driveways run 25 MPa concrete at about 100mm. Caravans, boats, light trucks and shared multi-unit runs are specified heavier, in writing, at the quote.
Shed and garage slabs
100mm on SL72 under garden sheds; 125mm on SL82 under garages, carports and workshops, with thickened edges to the maker's drawings and rebates and hold-downs formed to suit. Outbuildings only; dwelling slabs are not quoted here.
Paths
Path work starts at 75mm and steps to 100mm at vehicle crossings, with falls arranged to shed water off the path and clear of the building line.
Joints
Sawn control joints put cracking on lines chosen in advance, and isolation joints keep new work independent of footings, garage slabs and older concrete that stays.
Drainage and fall
Falls run away from the dwelling on every job. Blocks that drain towards the house or garage get a grated strip drain formed in and plumbed to stormwater, and crossover grades are set so a standard car clears the transition without scraping.
Crossovers
From the boundary to the road the council is in charge: MCC-501, 3.0 to 4.0 metres wide, under a vehicle crossing permit, with a pre-pour inspection and a completion inspection. Permit fees are the council's, change over time, and sit outside the quoted price.
Finish and cure
Broom, trowel, oxide colour through the mix, or exposed aggregate, as the quote says. Walking traffic after a day, cars after a week, heavy vehicles from day 28, and stone finishes sealed once cured.
What this means for a quote
A cheaper number is nearly always thinner somewhere you cannot see: the base, the mesh or the slab itself. Get those three in writing from anyone quoting, then read them against this page, the cost guide and the calculator.