11 Jan 2019
concrete-sidewalks-pedron

Concrete is one of the most versatile and durable building materials; making it ideal for structures, walkways, bridges, sidewalks and even several indoor fixtures such as lamps, flooring, and the likes.

 

Concrete Sidewalks Do So Much More Than Meets the Eye

Concrete sidewalks in Vancouver have to be structurally sound to withstand the high volumes of foot traffic that the city witnesses, and to maintain their integrity in the face of harsh elements like the weather and vehicular impact. The beauty of this material is that it can be cut and formed into the desired shape quite easily. Architects, builders and city planners recognize that a whole host of on-road constructions, such as straight or curved sidewalks, can be accommodated by concrete.

Besides its structural integrity, concrete can be designed in a variety of colours to enhance the appeal of the street. Bomanite concrete lets the builder mimic any other natural material and can even be built with attractive borders.

Below, we’ve compiled some quick pointers on how to go about investing in an attractive and durable concrete sidewalk for your next project.

 

Planning Your Concrete Sidewalk Project

The average useful lifespan of a concrete sidewalk is anywhere between 20 to 40 years. However, a lot of structures fail prematurely as a result of shoddy design and planning during the construction phase.

At the onset of your venture, you want to make sure that you have the essentials in check. Before you hire a certified concrete contractor to do the job, decide whether you require a curved or straight structure. Perhaps, you would even like a ramp. Apart from these, you will want to ensure that the colour palette of your sidewalk commensurates with other neighbouring fixtures such as traffic signals, lighting poles, residential and corporate buildings, parks, etc.

While a simple grey facade is the most sought after option, having a decorative sidewalk comes with many benefits. For instance, in public spaces, by using a certain colour or texture, you can offer pedestrians an interactive experience, tell a story, or simply incorporate an artistic and abstract flair into the neighbourhood.

 

Getting a Permit For Your Concrete Sidewalk Project

Chart out the area where you envision your concrete sidewalk to be. You will have to check with city officials and ascertain whether the spot you’ve chosen to lay the sidewalk is dig approved. There are several utilities that are buried no less than 4 inches below the ground that run across the entire city. The last thing you’d want to do is accidentally damage one of these.

If you’re planning to build a residential sidewalk on a private site, you may not have to solicit a permit. But it never hurts to contact your local construction authorities and ascertain whether or not you have jurisdiction to do so. If you build unauthorized structures, you will possibly face a penalty.

 

Pouring and Placing Your Concrete Sidewalk Project

When concrete pumping, placing and forming phases lack attention to detail, you will have a very shoddy end-product on your hands. City officials will conduct a number of inspections to test the performance of the sidewalk and gauge whether it’s safe for broader public use.

The sidewalk must exhibit four key features; safety, appearance, comfort and cost performance. To ensure success in all these four parameters, you need to hire a reputed and reliable concrete contractor that pushes for quality assurance at every step of the way.

Making sure the ingredients are mixed right as per projected strengths, ensuring placement accuracy while also tracking concrete strength at each step, ensuring dimension accuracy, flawless consolidation, adding reinforcement coverage and testing overall tolerance are just some of the crucial steps. Best practices have to be strictly adhered to at each stage.

Why hire a certified and licensed operator as opposed to opting for a DIY job or a regular contractor? The job doesn’t simply involve driving to the site, unloading the material and doing those same tasks over and over. It takes immense technical expertise to build a sturdy product.

Certified contractors possess knowledge about commercial driving, schematic readings, design essentials, safe pump operations, pump part functionalities, emergency troubleshooting, and safety norms – all of which are important factors in the procedure.

 

Trust Certified Operators in Vancouver to Construct Your Concrete Sidewalk

Nothing is more frustrating and expensive than having to redo a shoddy concrete placing and finishing job. Your sidewalk project will be riddled with cracks and deemed unfit for use in just a couple of years.

 

Get it right the first time! At Pedron Contracting, we offer consist pricing solutions and a superior product that you can bank on. Contact us for more information.