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A 4-inch-thick concrete slab can support around 4,000 pounds per square foot if a contractor reinforces the slab with rebar, while that same slab without reinforcements will support closer to 1,000 pounds. For the purposes of a patio, 4 inches in thickness without reinforcement should suffice unless you’re installing heavy kitchen equipment or a hot tub on it. In those cases, reinforcing your slab and sticking with 4 inches of thickness should provide plenty of strength.

Placing either a layer of mixed-size gravel or a paver base under your crushed concrete driveway is a good idea. The smaller pieces will compress and prevent the larger pieces of concrete from driving into the soil below, helping to avoid sinking over time under the weight of vehicles. For added protection from sinking and weeks, you can also install a heavy-duty weed liner beneath the gravel or paver base. Just be sure to use a permeable material to avoid drainage problems.

No, fence posts aren’t always set in concrete. If you don’t want to use concrete footings for your posts, expanding foam is a popular alternative. Expanding foam and concrete each have certain pros and cons. For instance, foam is easier to install and more sustainable, but concrete is sturdier and less expensive.

Yes, fiber concrete can crack, and contrary to popular belief, it will crack under similar forces to rebar-reinforced concrete. The difference is in how the crack spreads through the slab. When you exert pressure on a slab, the slab flexes downward, putting tensile forces on the bottom of the slab. In rebar concrete, a crack at the bottom will also quickly appear on the top surface. In fiber concrete, the fibers hold the two sides of that bottom crack together, making it less likely for the crack to form on the top surface.