Rebuilding a pit

[Bud]

I have a pit that is about 42in square. The one side gets the passenger side tires of smaller cars and therefore is wearing the edge of the concrete ledge down. Any suggestions how to enlarge this ledge where the grate rests. There is already a steel angle the whole perimeter of the pit that the grate sets in and legs that go to the bottom but this edge is still wearing badly. I thought about re-lining the wall of the pit with a 2 inch solid block. I don't know if that will work or not. Any ideas?

 

[sparkey]

My pits are made of the preformed concrete boxes. Would you be able to cut the current pit out and drop one of the precast boxes in?

 

[Earl Weiss]

IMO I would try to repair the worn portion with some vinyl concrete repair and then lay a piece of Diamond plate across the area that wears with an anchor at each end. Let the small tires ride on the plate. In 10 years or so when the plate is worn, replace it.

 

[Bud]

Cutting the old pit out and replacing it would end up being a problem with the floor heat. The heat is a problem with any cutting unless it is low enough in the pit. The diamond plate may work but part of the problem is that the ledges that were originally formed for the grate are a bit small in my opinion. This is why I thought laying some solid 2 inch block up that pit wall may be the answer but I am not sure how it would adhere to the wall and how it would hold up under water all the time. I am not sure it would be water tight.

 

[JMMUSTANG]

Check out this comapny.

http://www.washtrench.com/

 

[Earl Weiss]

You can get "Z" Channel.

See http://www.johnsonrollforming.com/display.php/display/L/category/29

The top horizontal part of the Z would be on the floor. with the vertical part extending down into the pit, and other horizontal part supporting the grate. If anchors might affect the floor heat perhaps you could order the channel and have a local shop weld the 4 sections to fit the exact opening. I make no recommendation as to how thick the horizontal part may need to be to support the grate. If desired the local shop could double up the horizontal support section and the vertical section.

 

[cwguy.com]

If you are really concerned about compact cars a 42" pit is way to big. A 42" pit in a <> 12' wide bay.... with a car that is less than half the bay's width size (ex 66.7")? It can not work.... the track of my old car was 58" so a 50" clearance (58" - tire width is 8" = 50"). Which would give you basically no room (8"). You would run over the pit if it was 42" or 40".... I believe unless someone guided you.

What about pouring another 10" onto the sides?

In contrast a Taurus has a 65" track. The whole Honda Fit car is 66.7" wide.

http://owners.honda.com/vehicles/information/2012/Fit/specs#mid^GE8G3CEXW

 

[MEP001]

Can you post a picture of the worn ledge? Car tires shouldn't wear concrete, it almost sounds like the bay floor was poured too thin or didn't have a proper base and is collapsing.

 

[Washmee]

Check out this comapny.

http://www.washtrench.com/

I can vouch for that company. They really know what they are doing.

 

[Bud]

Thanks for all the ideas guys. I think I have at least solved the problem temporarily. I welded approx. a 1/4 to 3/8 inch steel strip on the bottom of the angle steel that hold the grate in place. For now the grate does not move around so much on the concrete ledge so this hopefully will stop anymore wear on the concrete until I have a permanent fix and I believe the fix will be making up a new frame to fit in the ledge tightly with the steel grate to fit inside the angle frame, which I have now. But the new one will have support on all sides to prevent anymore wear. By the way the pit is more like 50 inches not 42 and the bay is 16 ft wide not 12. The concrete is not wearing from the tires it is wearing from the cars driving over the right side of the grate (smaller cars) (which are more of average cars today)and over time the grate had worn the concrete ledge on that side only making the grate and frame flip up on the left side as the car drives over it in turn causing more wear. I probably should have made more of this clear in the original post. Again, thanks.