Debate: 5,000 sq ft of driveway poured in one shift, hero move or setup for cracks?

Thea Jones · 2026-10-18T15:30:03.53577+00:00

Last Saturday we poured 5,000 sq ft of driveway in one shift over in Mesa, started at 4am and the last bull float came off around 3pm. Foreman says it saved us a whole day of saw cutting and two truck returns, and the homeowner's pallet cost dropped by $600. Half the crew says big single pours are the way to go since you get one consistent color and no cold joints. The other half says a slab that big is asking for plastic cracks and we should have broken it into two 2,500 sq ft pours with a construction joint. I've seen both sides and honestly it depends on the weather and how fast you can get finishers on it. What's your cutoff, is there a square foot number where you stop and break the pour up? And do you add control joints during the pour or stick with saw cutting the next morning?

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Debate: 5,000 sq ft of driveway poured in one shift, hero move or setup for cracks? | Concrete Finishers - Topic Shares