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I have a gravel driveway that I want to finish with concrete. The driveway is about 200ft on virtually flat property having less than +/-2% grade at any point. It has a runoff ditch that runs along it until the end where my driveway turns 90° and the ditch passes under it through a culvert.

The driveway consists of 0.25"-1.5" diameter gravel on top of red clay and has been driven on for 10+ years and has became a very hard service without any loose rock. Is it possible for me to achieve good results if I pour concrete directly on top? Or is additional aggregate necessary for a long-lasting surface?

I appreciate any advice y'all may have. I'm a carpenter and this is not my area of expertise.

Bence Kaulics
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DryOnHugs
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Depends on what you mean by "concrete " and weight of vehicles to use it. If it is 4" thick with rebar on roughly 18 " centers it will be excellent . You can probably get away with 2" thick at the thinnest spot and 10 gage wire mesh , if you don't park a large RV or if you are not a truck driver who parks an empty 18 wheeler on it occasionally. It sounds like you have a very good base which is important. For flat work you can use minimum water which will increase strength. You will need a plan for pouring the concrete ; can concrete trucks drive over the yard to reach the whole drive . If you need a pump truck , that will be expensive. Something to consider is unusual situations such a truck with a 100ft boom which has been on my drive a few times to cut large trees . Or a 10 wheel dump truck delivering 7 yards of soil across the driveway. I have the 4" with rebar and it tolerated these severe loads. Mostly luck as the rebar was left from the house and I had intended to use wire mesh.

blacksmith37
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