tom the attorney who wanted to building a walkway over the building

Why cut off stakes below form top?

Drive or cut off stakes below the form top to make screeding easier.

What goes under a driveway?

The best base varies according to climate and soil conditions. It may be a 16-in. layer of special base material or 6 in. of compacted gravel. To get advice, talk to a building inspector who’s familiar with soil conditions in your area. If you’re hiring a contractor to do the job, be sure the bids describe the base in detail. And don’t choose a low bid that skimps on the base work.

What is plate compactor?

A plate compactor is a heavy vibrating machine that solidly packs a soil or gravel base. A firm, well-drained base is the key to crack-free concrete. The best plan for a solid base usually includes compacted soil followed by several inches of a base material such as gravel.

Why are concrete joints called control joints?

The grooves in concrete are called “control joints” because they control cracking. Concrete shrinks as it dries, so cracks have to happen somewhere. Control joints create straight breaks rather than an ugly spiderweb pattern. They also limit cracks that form later. On a sidewalk, space joints 5 ft. apart or less; on a slab or driveway, no more than 10 ft. apart.

Can you use a steel trowel on concrete?

You’ll get a nonslip texture and hide imperfections left by floating or troweling. You can use a plain old push broom, but a special concrete broom cuts finer lines.

3104.5.1 Fire Barriers

Pedestrian walkways shall be separated from the interior of the building by not less than 2-hour fire barriers constructed in accordance with Section 707 and Sections 3104.5.1.1 through 3104.5.1.3.

3104.5.1.1 Exterior Walls

Exterior walls of buildings connected to pedestrian walkways shall be 2-hour fire-resistance rated. This protection shall extend not less than 10 feet (3048 mm) in every direction surrounding the perimeter of the pedestrian walkway.

3104.5.1.2 Openings in Exterior Walls of Connected Buildings

Openings in exterior walls required to be fire-resistance rated in accordance with Section 3104.5.1.1 shall be equipped with opening protectives providing a not less than 3 / 4 -hour fire protection rating in accordance with Section 716.

3104.5.1.3 Supporting Construction

The fire barrier shall be supported by construction as required by Section 707.5.1.

3104.5.2 Alternative Separation

The wall separating the pedestrian walkway and the building shall comply with Section 3104.5.2.1 or 3104.5.2.2 where:

3104.5.2.2 Glass

The wall shall be constructed of a tempered, wired or laminated glass and doors separating the interior of the building from the pedestrian walkway. The glass shall be protected by an automatic sprinkler system in accordance with Section 903.3.1.1 that, when actuated, shall completely wet the entire surface of interior sides of the wall or glass.

3104.5.3 Open Sides on Walkway

Where the distance between the connected buildings is more than 10 feet (3048 mm), the walls at the intersection of the pedestrian walkway and each building need not be fire-resistance rated provided that both sidewalls of the pedestrian walkway are not less than 50 percent open with the open area uniformly distributed to prevent the accumulation of smoke and toxic gases.

Do you need to be ADA compliant to walk on a path?

To further complicate, this path will serve as the primary entrance for adults with disabilities. It does not strictly need to be ADA compliant, but it should be close. Many of the people who use the path have mobility problems and at least one individual uses a wheelchair.

Can you cut tree roots for a walkway?

Given the proximity to the tree and the direction of the walk, and that the root area that will be cut/disturbed is limited in size by the facade of the house, I wouldn't be too concerned about cutting and grubbing the tree roots to excavate for the walkway. My bigger concern would be that the tree roots will heave the walk over time, making it uneven. But if you don't have these problems now with your existing walk, then I don't see you having them with the new walk.

Can you put a boardwalk above grade?

There are many solutions for creating an accessible path in a location like this with varying costs. The most important thing if you want to keep the tree is to have a qualified arborist assess the tree and give their recommendations before and during construction. You can do concrete above grade, decomposed gravel, a Boardwalk on piers that could have a timber deck, concrete deck or steel grate surface. Resin bound aggregate permeable paths can be installed above grade with a retaining edge. Really depends on the site conditions, the health of the tree and the look you want.

Can you cut a maple tree in a concrete driveway?

The tree was in the county right of way so we had to get the county arborist to come out and make sure it wouldn't hurt the tree. The arborist had no worries about it and said cutting the roots wouldn't be an issue. One note though: the driveway was straight. Had it curved around the tree, it may have been different... but your walkway doesn't seem to curve around the tree either.