Does the concrete truck cause damage to your driveway?

[Sunbaby]

Hey guys - I have a pretty long driveway - nice concrete with no cracks I started thinking about how they access your backyard. I assume it will be okay for them to drive heavy equipment up my driveway? Right? Or will a concrete truck crack it? Any experience? I think I am over-thinking everything, but figured I would ask you guys . . .

 

[ewkearns]

Don't know what the project is, but I wouldn't allow a full size concrete mixer on a typical 3 1/2 inch thick concrete drive. A concrete truck could absolutely crack it....

If enough yardage is required, I would think they would be considering pumping the concrete, anyway....

 

[bigglesworth]

If the driveway is 4'' (3 1/2 as ewkearns correctly pointed out) thick, it will support the weight of a normal car or pickup with relative ease. A dump truck or concrete truck... maybe... but that's a big maybe. It would depend upon the grade of concrete, rebar vs mesh, and probably a hundred other things I'm not even considering.

Were it my driveway I would say no. As ewkearns said a pump truck or maybe a conveyor (like this monster) or get the local highschool/college football team and a bunch of wheelbarrows

 

[Patrick_B]

Yes it could. They are extremely heavy.

 

[Golderdog]

Hey guys - I have a pretty long driveway - nice concrete with no cracks I started thinking about how they access your backyard. I assume it will be okay for them to drive heavy equipment up my driveway? Right? Or will a concrete truck crack it? Any experience? I think I am over-thinking everything, but figured I would ask you guys . . .

Sun: I wouldn't allow it either. We did, and I truly regret that decision. We now have a crack.

 

[Kiss4aFrog]

sounds like you should consider getting a pumper truck. How long is it from where the truck can come safely to where you need it placed ??

 

[Divin Dave]

And if you have any irrigation pipes under the driveway, .... a concrete truck will crack the drive without a doubt and possibly break the irrigation pipes under it.
A pumper truck or a motorized concrete buggy are the best options. Check on pricing and availability of a pumper truck. Those can get really pricey, depending on how far it is from the truck to the pool. The motorized buggies may be the most cost effective, but you'll have to check.

 

[IpaFan]

They used the motorized buggies for mine. I do not recall there being an extra cost for the buggies, but the pumper was going to add about an extra grand for mine. They laid down plywood the whole way to the back yard so as not to damage the grass. Pretty cool to see how good they were driving them

 

[Sunbaby]

So I am not good with distance - but it seems pretty long as far as driveways in a subdivision go. I will have to go measure the concrete to see how thick it is. Is there a way to tell if there is rebar or mesh in the concrete? Here is a pic of the driveway. I asked a couple neighbors that had pools put in - and they said the pool co drove all the way up on the drive with no problem - but I am a worrier. I guess I need to ask my PB - I am looking on the contract and I don't see anything about it . . .

 

[PigIron]

I would not take the chance. An excavator cracked the corner of our driveway, which had rebar.

 

[rodog123]

The gunite truck should park in the street and pump the gunite through a hose. You driveway may sustain light damage during the dig phase when the bobcat or other diggin machine is travelling back and forth with payloads of dirt to haul away. Our dig was at least 100+ trips from the backyard to the front.

The damage if any is really minimal. I noticed some small cracks on my driveway but nothing crazy, hardly noticeable.

Your backyard will look as if a bomb went off at least for a couple of months. We went through an emotional rollercoaster happy, sad, frustrated, worried.

In the end it will all work out and you will be happy you built a pool!!

 

[Aloha76]

My PB specifically advised against having the concrete truck drive on our driveway or in our yard. I think it added $500 to our contract to use the pumper truck for the concrete decking.

 

[Sunbaby]

Thank you guys! I just sent a message to the PB to ask how they do it - and if I have to - I will pay more to have them stay off of it. So MUCH to learn!

 

[kimkats]

But, but, but you have us to help you! So all is GOOD!

Kim

 

[Sunbaby]

For REAL! This site is an obsession for me now!!!

 

[cwescapexlt4x4]

do not allow a truck on that long driveway, you will regret it! A pumper truck is the way to go for sure!

 

[ldcsteelers]

It was a $1400 up charge for me to do a "shuttle dig". The heavy trucks can crack your driveway usually along the edge where they exit/enter.

 

[Yev]

Not a chance you should let the concrete truck on your driveway. Like was said earlier, if gunite, it will be hose pumped from the road. For the concrete for the patio around the pool (assuming you are not using stone or pavers) most likely they will just use a bobcat's bucket to drive the concrete back and forth. The bobcat or buggy will damage your yard, but that is much easier to fix than cracked concrete.

 

[skylar18]

They should be able to pump that from the street through a hose. Don't see any reason why they would have to get any closer.

 

[rodog123]

During the dig the bobcat will create a path of dirt from the hole site to the awaiting dump truck, the dirt road will help minimize the damage to the drive way, also the bobcat should have this rubberized tracks vs. steel tracks.