Residential concreting specification
Everything that decides how long concrete lasts is invisible by the afternoon of the pour. This page records what goes into every job quoted through this site, so any competing quote can be measured against something concrete.
Standard
Residential pavements are built with reference to AS 3727.1. At the crossover, the City of Boroondara's standard drawings take precedence over anything on this page, including the bluestone drawings on kerbed streets.
Ground and base
Boroondara sits on clay that swells through wet winters and shrinks over dry summers, and that movement, not traffic, is what kills most concrete here. So the ground comes first: failed surfaces out, organic material and soft pockets dug away, and a base of compacted crushed rock built up where conditions call for it, before any mix is ordered.
Steel and membrane
Reinforcing mesh goes into every slab, supported on chairs at mid-depth where it actually restrains cracking, never lying on the ground where it does nothing. A vapour membrane is included where the site conditions require one.
Driveways
The standard residential drive is 25 MPa concrete around the 100mm mark, which carries passenger cars indefinitely. Boats, caravans and light trucks change the numbers, as does a drive shared between homes; those cases are specified heavier at the quote, not discovered later.
Shed and garage slabs
Outbuilding slabs are specified by load: 100mm and SL72 mesh under garden sheds, 125mm and SL82 under garages, studios and workshops, thickened at the edges where the structure's drawings ask. Rebates and hold-down points follow the supplier's documentation. Dwelling slabs are not quoted through this site.
Paths
75mm is the floor for path work, stepping to 100mm at driveway and gateway crossings. Path falls are set to carry water clear of the building line, which matters most against the timber and brick walls of period homes.
Joints
Concrete moves; the joints decide where. Sawn control joints give the movement straight lines to follow, and isolation joints separate new work from footings, garage slabs and any older concrete that stays.
Falls and drainage
No slab leaves water at the house. Where a block runs towards the garage or the dwelling, a grated strip drain is built into the pour and connected to stormwater, and crossover grades are set so a normal car clears the transition, which takes genuine design on Boroondara's sloping streets.
Crossovers
Between the boundary and the road, council rules apply: a vehicle crossing permit before any crossover is built, widened, moved or removed, a formwork inspection before the pour and a final one after, and in heritage overlays sometimes a planning permit on top. Council fees sit outside the quote and are confirmed with it.
Heritage frontages
New concrete against an old house is detailed, not just poured. Edges against bluestone kerbs, pitchers and original path borders are formed to a clean, consistent joint so the new surface meets the old material squarely rather than lapping it. Where an original front path or verandah edge is staying, levels are matched and the joint line is placed where the eye expects a break. Around the mature trees that make these streets, the slab edge is kept clear of protected root zones, with the base build-up adjusted rather than the roots cut, and street trees are never touched without the council's approval.
Finish and cure
Surfaces are finished as quoted: broom, trowel, full depth colour or exposed stone. Curing runs to the standard rhythm of the trade, walking traffic next day, cars from day seven, heavy vehicles from day 28, and stone finishes take their sealer once cured.
Reading a cheaper quote
When another number comes in lower, the savings are almost always buried: less base, lighter mesh, thinner concrete. All three are invisible at handover and decisive within a few winters. Ask for them in writing, then compare against this page, the cost guide and the calculator.