Concrete for bikes/bin storage

RebelButtMunch

Hi
I've a 3mx3m area of garden hidden behind a shed that I want to cover with concrete. It's going to be for wheelie bins and bicycles.

What kind of depth of hardcore and concrete do I need?

Thanks.

Calahonda52

whats the ground like?

RebelButtMunch

Calahonda52 wrote: »

whats the ground like?

Compacted soil.

DublinDilbert

around 80-100mm should do, 1 ton bag should cover the area. Are you going to mix the concrete yourself?

RebelButtMunch

DublinDilbert wrote: »

around 80-100mm should do, 1 ton bag should cover the area. Are you going to mix the concrete yourself?

Planning to, yes. I might rent a mixer, haven't looked into the cost of that yet though. Could it be cheaper to get a load delivered?

bobbyy gee

i would just put down some concrete pavers
ir will be hidden by shed
put something down to stop weeds coming up


i would also cover the bikes
as they will get rusty and you will stop using them

RebelButtMunch

bobbyy gee wrote: »

i would just put down some concrete pavers
ir will be hidden by shed
put something down to stop weeds coming up


i would also cover the bikes
as they will get rusty and you will stop using them

Yeah, I was thinking about covering the bikes.
To that end, before I put down any ground cover I was going to sink 3 or 4 wooden uprights to support a kind of lean-to structure. (Sorry, I should have mentioned that at the start)

That's kinda why I was thinking of pouring the floor. I don't want to have to cut tiles around the support poles.

Lumen

Because I don't enjoy digging deep holes I would just dig out the topsoil (which is useful elsewhere) and then pour a thick slab with reinforcing mesh (on chairs) using delivered concrete.

Then bolt post supports (with standoffs) on to the concrete.

Otherwise you're in for a load of digging and compacting and shovelling and mixing which is overkill for this application, and will leave you with a pile of useless subsoil to deal with.

That said, if you find you've deep topsoil and the concrete is going to work out too expensive, just shove a load of angular stone in there and lazily compact it, as it'll be good for drainage.

tldr: start digging and see what you're working with.

RebelButtMunch

I'd agree with you Lumen about the digging. I think I'll go with your plan and look at steel seat posts that can be fixed to the concrete before or after the pour for the lean-to shelter. Would that solution still be 80-100mm deep of digging ans mentioned by Dublindilbert?

I also plan a side stretch of gravel for drainage.

Lumen

RebelButtMunch wrote: »

Would that solution still be 80-100mm deep of digging ans mentioned by Dublindilbert?

Depends on your site. On mine the topsoil is 100-150mm deep. You'd want to remove that, not least because topsoil is valuable for growing things in and takes a long time for nature to make.

You'll know when you get to the subsoil because it's a different colour and consistency. It looks kind of greasy and dead. That's the stuff you want to leave alone purely because it's stable enough and useless for growing anything in.