What happens if you don't put wire mesh in concrete?

What Happens if You Don't Put Wire Mesh in Concrete?

Without wire mesh, concrete is much more prone to cracking and breaking under stress. Wire mesh not only helps hold the concrete together if it does crack, but also helps distribute the load more evenly across the surface. It increases the tensile strength of concrete, making it less likely to crumble under heavy loads or due to seasonal changes in temperature and moisture levels. Moreover, wire mesh can prevent structural failures and extends the lifespan of a concrete structure.

Is Wire Mesh Necessary in a Concrete Driveway?

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Concrete roadways, platforms, and structures typically require some type of reinforcement to help reduce cracking and prevent architectural failure. Most often, rebar (steel bars) are embedded into the concrete before it hardens. However, galvanized panels of welded wire mesh can be used as an alternative to rebar.

If you're planning to repave your driveway, you should definitely consider using steel reinforcement. Since weighty industrial vehicles probably won't be driving on your property very often (or ever), rebar might be overkill for a residential project. In that case, is wire mesh necessary in a concrete driveway? Experts recommend using heavy-duty wire mesh on private roadways. Here's why.

Why Use Wire Mesh In Concrete?

As long as a driveway or parking lot isn't regularly driven on by semi trucks and other heavy vehicles, welded wire mesh will work well. If you're like a lot of homeowners, you might be wondering if you can go without steel reinforcement altogether. While there are some exceptions, reinforcing a driveway is generally worth the investment.

Advantages of Heavy-Gauge Welded Wire Mesh Panels

Heavy-gauge welded wire mesh panels are:

• Easy to lay in the desired position
• Exceptionally durable with a high tensile strength
• More affordable than rebar
• Positioned much faster than rebar
• Preassembled

Unlike some rebar grids, you can count on the consistent size and spacing of galvanized wire mesh. Additionally, as the concrete is being poured, stainless steel mesh panels stay in position.

Coping with Cracks

When it comes to concrete, you can't avoid cracks entirely, but wire mesh reinforcement will help hold the material together when they do occur. Also, it will help evenly distribute the weight of cars on your driveway. The added strength of steel is especially crucial if your subgrade isn't up to par.

How Do You Attach Wire Mesh to Concrete?

Whether you're hiring a contractor or are planning to tackle the project yourself, it's helpful to have a general idea of the process. Find the basic steps of reinforcing a concrete driveway below.

1. First, you'll need to install your forms, which will essentially frame the driveway and keep the concrete in place before it sets.

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2. Next, you'll use gravel or another fill material to even out the grade.
3. After compacting the fill into the subgrade, it's time to add steel reinforcement.
4. Position the wire mesh about two inches from the forms, using heavy-duty wire cutters to cut the edges as needed. If possible, get wire mesh paneling pre-cut to size so you can lay it directly on top of the fill with minimal adjustments.
5. Once the wire mesh is in place, you can pour the concrete, flatten it, level it, and then cure it.

High-Quality Wire Mesh for DIY Projects

For over 50 years, TWP Inc. has been a trusted supplier of industrial-grade steel wire mesh. Our women-owned business is proud to serve construction companies, infrastructure firms, homeowners, and DIYers alike. As an ISO-certified company, our customers can rest assured they're getting top-tier materials, services, and support.

We carry galvanized and welded stainless steel wire mesh suitable for concrete reinforcement. Not only that, but with our in-house measuring, laser cutting, and roll slitting services, you can get the exact size you need for your driveway.

Order your stainless steel wire mesh today, or request a quote for a custom size or quantity. Want to have your new driveway featured in TWP Inc.'s online gallery? Upload your photos to Instagram using the hashtag #TWPWireMesh.

Do Concrete Slabs Really Need Welded Wire Mesh?

The past decade has seen many production builders switch to synthetic fiber mesh reinforcement for concrete slabs to help reduce surface cracking. In the process, many of these builders have completely eliminated traditional welded wire mesh (WWM).

But while fiber mesh has advantages, it also comes with potentially costly drawbacks.

That may sound surprising, given that fiber’s big appeal is its time and money savings. By using it, builders don’t have to pay a premium for concrete wire mesh, and concrete contractors don’t have to take the time to correctly install it; in fact, some concrete contractors offer a price break for fiber mesh.

The Problem of Ugly Cracks in Concrete Slabs

While fiber does reduce surface cracking, it won’t eliminate cracks completely. Worse, when a crack does develop, the lack of WWM can be a real weakness.

That’s because properly installed WWM will keep the concrete on both sides of a crack from separating further and will keep them on the same plane—that is, prevent differential settling. Fiber mesh won’t.

Repairs to differential settling don’t leave the greatest impression on homebuyers. You have to grind down the surface on either side of the crack, fill the gap with epoxy and try to smooth it all out. Even when done well, this leaves a visible scar.

While such scars are mostly cosmetic, they scream “poor workmanship” to customers, leading many to doubt the structural integrity of the home’s slab, at least. And of course, the builder has to pay for the repair.

As use of fiber mesh has grown, we’ve seen more and more of these problems on job sites ... but we’re also seeing more builders take notice. Soon after switching to fiber mesh, one of our clients found a dozen cracking and settling slabs at any given time. They reintroduced WWM and the problems virtually disappeared.

Settling Slabs and Underlying Soil Specs

The chance of differential settling depends largely on the underlying soil. Where the soil is sandy and stable, as in much of Florida, settling is less likely and fiber alone can be a reasonable choice.

However, in areas with clay and other expansive soils, such as the Carolinas, correcting problems caused by the elimination of WWM can cost more in the long run than the initial cost savings associated with fiber mesh.

Concrete Wire Mesh Helps Minimize Concrete Slab Cracking and Settling

In fact, the best way to minimize the chance of cracking and settling is to use fiber mesh and WWM in the same slab.

Like any structural product, WWM won’t do its job unless it’s installed correctly. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case.

Proper installation that provides maximum strength requires the mesh to be raised off the ground so that when the concrete sets, it’s in the lower third of the slab depth. That means placing the wire on chairs to hold it at the correct height.

Wire that’s not placed on chairs will not be effective, but in the rush to get jobs done, some crews eliminate the chairs and roll the wire directly out over the plastic sheeting that covers the dirt. And when installers do use chairs, they must take care not to knock the wire off the chairs during the pour. If they do, then they need to reset the concrete wire mesh.

Making sure all of this gets done right can be a training and quality assurance challenge for the builder, and avoiding that challenge may be one reason why so many opt for synthetic fiber for these applications.

But in soils that make settling likely, this type of oversight really needs to be a priority.

Richard Baker drives quality and performance in homebuilding as the building performance manager on the PERFORM Builder Solutions team at IBACOS.

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