Concrete foundations - Is reinforcement mesh always necessary?

[smobb]

Hi,

I'm currently installing some concrete pads for some stone benches, a long stone wall 400mm high and a set of 3 very generous cast concrete steps, 500mm tread and a pair of retaining walls either side.

I'm just wondering if reinforcement mesh is really necessary? the foundation will be on very firm ground, it's supporting a substantial load but i often have a tendency to over engineer things so just wondered what peoples thoughts are for this?

Cheers, Steve.

[digerjones]

I wouldn't bother. They build houses on 9" of concrete with no mesh.

[lutonlagerlout]

not anymore they dont Dylan :laugh:
mesh is relatively inexpensive Steve
but as you state probably overengineered ,I would rather DPM is used and if you use mesh make sure it has 50 mm minimum of concrete cover
cheers LLL

[digerjones]

What's the spec now. We poured an extension recently 2' wide 9" deep building inspected never said anything.

[lutonlagerlout]

600mm wide and 225mm of concrete?
if your local BCO says its OK then thats great
everything down here is minimum 1 m deep and 600 wide
and they are looking for at least 600mm of concrete depth
cheers LLL

[digerjones]

I will ask next time I see the building inspector.. On sand I've been down only about 18" deep a day 9"concrete. Never put steel in only when a well or something in the trench.

[GB_Groundworks]

Chuffing hell my ip range is no longing band although I’m on my iPad

Different things digger house footing is mass filled in compression where as 4� 100mm pad for bench or steps far more likely to crack. For the cost of a142 mesh I’d be putting it in just for piece of mind