Our team at Lovell Construction Group, LLC was called in to pour a new sidewalk. We started by grading the land so we would have a leveled area to work with. We then needed to frame the section where we would be pouring concrete. The frame is created by placing wood around the perimeter of the pour. It shapes the sidewalk and prevents concrete from spilling over. The metal grid you see within the frame is rebar. Rebar (Reinforcing Bar) will strengthen the sidewalk, prevent large cracks, and extend the life of the sidewalk. We had to cut and shape the rebar to fit our needs where the sidewalk curves.

All of these steps and preparations need to be taken care of before the cement truck arrives; you won’t have time to do it once the pouring starts. Stopping the pour can lead to part of it drying out before the rest is poured. This leads to layers of concrete instead of one solid slab; layers will weaken the sidewalk.

Once the cement is poured we acted quickly to disperse it throughout the framed area. We used wood and metal straightedges to screed the concrete. Screeding is the process of removing excess concrete and bringing the slab to its proper grade/level. As you can see, we are constantly checking to make sure everything is leveled.

Have you ever wondered why sidewalks are broken up into sections? Is there a purpose for those lines? Yes! They’re called control joints. This gives the concrete room to expand and contract. It reduces random cracking at the surface as shrinkage occurs. A final pass over of the surface of the sidewalk gives a textured feel to it. This is a safety measure that gives the surface a slightly rough finish so it won’t be slippery in inclement weather.

If you are in need of a new sidewalk, patio, driveway, or concrete floor; reach out to us on our contact page or call us at (210) 362-8276. We also offer stamped and colored decorative concrete options.