Concrete Slabs in College Station, TX

Concrete slabs are the flat, structural pads that buildings and heavy equipment sit on: sheds, workshops, carports, RV and boat pads, garage floors, AC and generator pads, and the base for a backyard building. Unlike a patio, a slab often has to be dead level and square so a building kit or wall framing fits on it, and it may carry loads a patio never sees.

Planning comes first

Before we form a slab, we need to know what is going on it. A 10 by 12 shed needs a different slab than a 30 by 40 shop with a car lift. We ask about the building's dimensions, where doors and anchor bolts go, whether plumbing or electrical needs to come up through the slab, and what vehicles will drive on it. HomeGuide notes that most shed slabs are about 4 inches thick, that a 6-inch slab costs more per square foot, and that garage floors are typically reinforced and 4 to 6 inches thick.

Ground prep and moisture

Brazos County soils range from river-bottom alluvium to sandy ground, according to the Texas State Historical Association, and some sites in the area have clay that swells when wet and shrinks when dry. On any slab we strip topsoil and organic material, add and compact a gravel base, and grade the site so water drains away from the slab. With about 41.75 inches of rain a year in College Station, often in heavy storms, a slab that sits low will be wet underneath for days. For enclosed buildings we add a vapor barrier under the concrete to keep ground moisture from coming up into the floor.

Reinforcement and edges

Most slabs we pour get rebar on chairs. Shop slabs and RV pads often get thickened edges or interior beams where walls or heavy wheels bear down. Anchor bolts or embeds are set while the concrete is wet so the building can be tied down. Control joints are cut to break the slab into panels that can shrink without random cracks.

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Common slab projects

• Shed and storage building slabs: HomeGuide lists 10 by 10 to 20 by 20 shed slabs at about $600 to $4,800
• Workshop and barn slabs: larger pours with thickened edges and anchor bolts
• RV and boat pads: HomeGuide lists 200 to 700 square foot RV pads at about $1,200 to $8,400
• Garage floors: new or replacement floors with reinforcement
• AC, generator and equipment pads: small, level pads that keep equipment out of mud and standing water
• Carport and pergola slabs: with footings where posts land

After the pour

HomeGuide says a new slab can take foot traffic after 1 to 2 days and vehicles after 1 to 2 weeks, with a full cure taking about 28 days or more. Framing, heavy equipment and loaded trailers should wait toward the end of that range. In summer we keep the slab damp or covered for its first days so it does not dry too fast and crack.

After the pour

HomeGuide says plain slabs need about 7 to 10 days before regular use. Heavy equipment, building framing and vehicles should wait longer, ideally until the slab is close to its full cure at about 28 days. In summer we keep the slab moist or covered during the first days so it does not dry too fast and crack.