I need to remove 30 feet of concrete curb next week so as to tie the current project's new driveway into the street. I met with the state highway fellow yesterday to go over the lane closing plan, and he sort of threw cold water on the cutting operation I had in mind. My concrete sub and I had planned to cut straight down (vertical) along the edge of the asphalt lane for the 30 foot distance, then (after cutting the curb crossways at both ends) use the excavator to pull the curb away from the street. But the state guy said he doesn't think we can cut it deep enough to do this. He says there is two inches of asphalt overlaying the lip (gutter) of the curb, and he doesn't know how thick the lip is. He is afraid that if we don't cut through completely that we will damage the asphalt lane when we pull back on the curb, and it's too cold to repair the asphalt. So he wants us to try to cut the the top of the curb off horizontal to the top of the asphalt traffic lane. I don't even know if they make a saw that will lay on its side and make this cut. Any advice for us? To make matters worse, we will have to do the project's second driveway in a couple of weeks in the same manner.
Have you tried other concrete cutters? You could do it from the back side with a hand held saw.
I haven't seen the saw, but I've seen neighborhoods with cut curbs for every driveway. Just like you're describing.
There is a outfit around here that does pretty much all of the curb cutting for driveways exactly like you described, horizontal. And from the cost of the machine you can see why... https://www.ohiopowertool.com/p-444...Zv1DZ1CsFOaH9a-C4ktKr8Ti2jMhmK_ASABoCiJbw_wcB video of one in action.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7JT4FH742s
Concrete curb is generally installed with expansion joints and I generally remove it with an excavator if I have one.If you remove the material on the back side of the curb the width of the cut and pull against the curb with the bucket near an expansion joint if you can you will usually get a pretty clean break just about the width of your road cut because the curb will break where you stopped removing the backing.If you want a clean cut you can score it with a saw etc at the ends where the cut needs to be.I am probably not telling you much here but it has worked for me for years.The asphalt on the front side of the curb is generally undisturbed if you are careful.Ron G
Just do it like you planned and have some stone and cold patch on hand to fix the road if it breaks apart. Then pave it in with hot mix in the spring or when you pave the driveway. No sense in making it cost 10 times what it should by cutting horizontal (what goes through these guys heads). Or you could chip away asphalt in one spot to see how much is overlaying the gutter. Then you can measure and cut the top layer so you won't break asphalt more than needed. All can be done with a hand held chop saw. How can they expect you to leave a piece of the concrete curb under the road/driveway, doesn't make sense.
This may be the best solution under the circumstances. I'm thinking the sidewalk will pull away from the curb easily, then with the back side exposed maybe my sub can hold a hand held saw up there horizontally and get it going. There is a major phone line under that sidewalk somewhere. We can dig down to whatever depth that is so we will have room to work. There is water available on site now, so maybe one guy can spray a little water as the other one is sawing if it doesn't make too big of a mess? I'm pretty sure my concrete sub won't go buy one of those rigs in post #4 haha. But I'm going to show him that photo and price and tell him the state man is going to require him to have one if I can keep a straight face while I'm telling him. Can't wait to see his jaw drop!
Now that I've thought about it, why can't you cold mix any damage and hot mix it when it is warm. Did you screw the inspector's daughter or something? Btw you might want to buy a little walk behind saw or a cart for you stihl saw, crazy to call in the concrete cutter for 30lf of asphalt cutting.
Any time you have that work to do you have to consider the utilities buried in your path.Generally when the site is laid out on paper that will be a consideration and the utilities will cross the street and get buried on the other side but if a tract is installed afterwards then you have to deal with it.How you handle it depends on the town and what they will stand for.Ron G
Hire a concrete cutting company with a large walk behind saw to cut the face of the curb where it meets the asphalt. Pop a line to get a clean cut, cut it and pull it out. Run it by the DOT man and see if accepts that. One can easily cut 12" deep or deeper with a large walk behind. Are they in your area - https://www.penhall.com The DOT man is right, if you don't cut clean through the face of the curb between curb and asphalt you will damage the asphalt in the road. I've seen me do it. A cutter is a lot cheaper than getting a milling and paving crew in.:cool2 I've also done it the way the DOT man is describing. The problem with doing it that way (other than being labor intensive) is it's hard to get a nice transition from driveway to curb cut.
It must be a pretty regional habit then of cutting the curbs horizontal, thats how pretty much every one here is done. Most subdivisions they come in and curb everything and then cut out where they need to later on once the house is being built. Can't say as though I have ever seen someone pull out a piece of the curb and re-pour it for the driveway approach. Though it wouldn't be too hard because they expansion joint it every 20', if your expansion joint is close you could cut the one side and pull it apart at the joint on the other and then re pour. Post some pictures of however you end up doing it, we all love pictures
The problem I don't like about that practice in residential projects is there is no good way to get a clean transition from the concrete drive to the horizontally cut curb. The mud poured on the driveway is too thin and over time it chips away and looks like **** in a few years. Back in my residential days, we'd either saw cut the entire curb or take it out expansion joint to expansion joint depending on the situation. Pour the drive back monolithically with curb and it's all a homogenous pour - no chipping and spalling down the road.
I suppose that if it were to be a gravel or asphalt drive way that cutting the curb horizontally would prevent needing to re-pour any concrete.
they just pour valley curb here no cut's just tie into where needed
Valley curb is a better solution for residential for that reason but we have both types here. Depends on the grade of the road whether it has curb and gutter or valley gutter.
Our developments are laid out in advance here and the driveway cuts are included in the curb guys plans so they only pass one time and do it all.The town inspectors also make sure that they approve the grades etc before they get poured.I had in mind that this new street was an after thought and the tract had been finished years ago maybe.I have seen that happen.Money talks.I can see a driveway apron meeting a saw cut curb but it does not seem logical to have a saw cut curb buried under a street intersection.Ron G
As CM1995 said we always cut at the street edge of the curb wither it has asphalt over it or not and then pulled it out the back side. Repacement concrete gutter went back in with the sidewalk or drive entrance.