And make sure the concrete guy uses rebar, and puts a 4 inch or more slab down.
Sometimes you get a company that says you don't need the rebar, that is wrong.
In the country I would go with 5" if you have septic trucks, propane trucks, or other heavy vehicles
utilizing the driveway.
I would also go with Fiberglass bar which is roughly 60% cost of steel bar
Fiberglass vs. Steel Rebar: Which is Best for Structural Reinforcements?
Structural reinforcements are imperative for the overall strength and longevity of concrete-based structural applications such as bridge decks, parking garages and drainage systems. Reinforcements are indispensable for retrofitting existing structures while being more cost-effective than rebuilding them, especially in terms of increasing the load-bearing capacity of the original structure. Traditionally, the structural industry has used steel to produce structural reinforcements.
This blog post will highlight the shortcomings of steel-based reinforcements and why fiberglass is the best structural reinforcement material today.
Steel rebars
Steel rebars, short for reinforcement bars, are traditional structural reinforcements typically used for reinforcing cement concrete. Concrete is strong under compressive loads but weak under tensile loads. Steel rebars hold the concrete together and enhance the tensile strength of concrete-based structures while preventing cracks in structural components during tensile loading. Steel was used in rebars primarily because its thermal expansion is similar to concrete.
Unfortunately, steels are highly reactive. Steel slowly starts corroding as concrete comes in contact with oxygen, chlorides and moisture. Corrosion eats up steel and compromises the strength of structural reinforcements, making them failure-prone. Over time, rust accumulates on steel bars and builds up pressure on the surrounding concrete, leading to cracks that can eventually fracture concrete via spalling. These failures are costly to repair and maintain. Moreover, steel rebars are susceptible to melting at increased temperatures, are excessively heavy and are expensive to install.
Fiberglass - The Future of Structural Reinforcements
Fiberglass, aka fiberglass-reinforced polymers, is a composite material containing a polymer resin matrix reinforced by embedded glass fibers. They are easy to fabricate and are manufactured via pultrusion.
Fiberglass overcomes the main shortcomings of steel rebars and is unquestionably the modern go-to material for structural reinforcements. Fiberglass fabrics are lightweight with a high strength-to-weight ratio, flexural strength and stiffness. Fiberglass is roughly 75-80% lighter than steel and yet possesses higher strength and requires less installation time and labor.
Less weight is thus added to the reinforced structures, enhancing their performance. Fiberglass is easily transformed into complex shapes, offering higher flexibility for custom applications. Unlike steels, fiberglass is highly chemically resistant, especially to corrosion. The interwoven structure of fiberglass makes structural reinforcements impervious to water and other corrosive and alkaline environments. Fiberglass reinforcements require minimal maintenance and have low lifecycle costs. Fiberglass is electrically non-conductive and therefore ensures personnel safety.
