Driveway with hot water heating tubes 4

[PT999]

I am designing a residential driveway, and calling for 6 inches thick concrete with 6 x 6 W2.9 x W2.9 epoxy coated WWR.
My client now wants to add hot water heating tubes set in the middle of the slab.

Any advise on whether this will be OK. Just for cars, SUV's etc, workman's vans, etc. located on a steep slope. 6" RCA below slab.

 

[KootK]

We've done similar things successfully. Some ideas:

1) Locate the tubes closer to the surface for more effective snowmelt.
2) Switch to rebar if the tubing will be tied to it. Better support and placement control.

The greatest trick that bond stress ever pulled was convincing the world it didn't exist.

 

[jike]

Make sure the driveway drains extra well, otherwise the snow will melt and then refreeze as ice.

 

[XR250]

The tubing will float to the top of it is not fastened down in a tight spacing - usually has to be tighter than reabar spacing - hence using WWF.

 

[KootK]

@Excel: do you specify abnormally stocky WWF or very tight chairing? I worry about the opposite problem: I usually see the WWF pushed to the bottom of the slab by worker traffic.

The greatest trick that bond stress ever pulled was convincing the world it didn't exist.

 

[Signious]

Depending on the application - set the tubes a little off of the rebar using chairs - I have heard horror stories with tie wire puncturing the tubing during concrete placement.

 

[XR250]

I used rebar in my house when we laid the tubing. Spaced it 18" o.c.
The tubing floated to the top in a few spots. Maybe a hybrid of rebar then WWF fro more tying points. I was also worried about the wire puncturing the tube. We wrapped the rebar in small piece of garden hose wherever the tubing was zip tied to it.