How to Build Concrete Driveway Tracks

Drive stakes into the ground to form two rectangles measuring 18-feet long, 30-inches wide and spaced 5-feet apart.

Dig the ground between the stakes 8-inches deep with a shovel. Repeat in the other staked out rectangle. Remove the stakes.

Knock down high spots and fill in low spots at the base of the ground with a shovel.

Tamp the ground with a hand-held tamper or rent a gas powered tamper to pack the base tightly.

Place 2 by 4 boards inside the excavated ground, butted up to the edges of the soil tightly to create forms. Repeat in the other excavated rectangle.

Place 1 by 2 boards every 6-feet across the width of the rectangle inside the wood forms, to create expansion joints; these allow the concrete to move slightly and avoid cracking and breaking in the future.

Add 4-inches of stone to the base of each rectangle.

Drag a piece of lumber across the top of the stone to level it.

Lay wire mesh over the top of the stone and in between the wood forms.

Mix concrete in a wheelbarrow or trough according to the directions printed on the bag or call to schedule a concrete pour from a concrete delivery company. Order 3000 psi concrete, which refers to the strength of the concrete.

Pour the concrete, beginning at the edge of the forms and use a shovel to spread it throughout the form.

Use a bull-float to smooth and level the surface of the wet concrete. A bull float is a large trowel attached to the end of a long pole.

Spray the wet concrete surface with curing compound to finish.

Allow the concrete to set up for 3 to 4 hours and then remove the wood from around the perimeter of the driveway tracks.