I have a basement room in an old house that just had a dirt floor. The rest of the basement has concrete floor and I am wanting to pour a new floor over the dirt to match the level of existing concrete floors. However, the depth of the new floor will require fill of up to 12 -20" in places. I have a big access problem and it will be very difficult to get gravel in for fill. Is there some alternative fill (ground is uneven) so that I don't have to pour that much concrete? Are there reasons why pouring 12- 20" of concrete would be a bad idea? It is a small area - less than 200 sq ft. I have rock foundation.

 

The biggest issue I can think of is cost of the concrete and the weight. That is roughly 12 Cu yds(1 1/2 truck loads) of concrete, price it out from a local source. And the only likely way to get it in is thru a window, then with wheelbarrows. I would consider some professional help on this job.

 

Can you remove some siding, cut a rim joist section out to send dirt down a chute made of plywood into a wheel-barrow?
Be safe, Gary

 

Well, the concrete floor I am wanting to pour will be several feet below grade, but there is a window and I can get a concrete truck near enough to pour directly through the window. Getting gravel in would be tough - it would have to be manual labor- up stairs and then down stairs, so even wheel barrows would be terribly difficult. Bringing gravel in buckets is probably the only way to get it in - but again, too back-breaking.
So I was wondering if anyone had heard of using any other kind of material under the concrete that could be used as fill and more easily brought in.....styrofoam? some other novel material that could handle the weight of the concrete?

 

Thanks Bill,
I am getting a concrete contractor to do this job, but no-one seems to have any good ideas for how to avoid using so much concrete.... just thought I would see if there were any creative solutions out there...

 

If you can get concrete in through the window, why not pea gravel? Any rental yard will rent a chute that you could rig up trhough the window to some waiting wheelbarrows, then into the hole. Leave the gravel down 4 inches below the existing concrete floor, then pour your 4 inches of concrete to get it level. Some concrete companies will even deliver pea gravel in a concrete truck.