Rural Slabs and Drainage

Water is the enemy

On a property, concrete gets wet constantly: storms, hosing down, stock water, wash water off machinery. Water left sitting on a slab breeds mud, slime and rot at the edges, and water running under the edge of a slab washes out its support. Every working slab needs a plan for where water goes.

Falls

A slab should fall to a collection point or off one edge. The fall does not need to be steep to work, but it needs to be deliberate and consistent, set out with a string line or laser before the concrete arrives.

Bunds and kerbs

A wash-down bay or chemical area usually needs a raised kerb or bund around it, so water stays on the slab until it reaches the drain. Without one, wash water simply runs off the nearest edge.

Sumps, pits and dish drains

Water collected on the slab has to go somewhere. That might be a sump or pit, a settling arrangement for silt, or a dish drain across a track. Where runoff carries oil, chemicals or effluent, check the rules for where it can be discharged before you build.

Edges

Slab edges take a beating from hooves, wheels and washing water. Thickened edges resist breaking away, and a stable, compacted surround stops the edge being undermined.

Next step

See rural and farm concreting for the jobs this covers, or ring 0489 908 651.