Concrete Slab for Outdoor Kitchen

[Yeager]

Hello,
I am planning for my outdoor kitchen and would love to get your input. Pavers will be butted up against this concrete pad. I will have two parts:

1. An L shaped island that is 28" deep with a thickness of 5.5" Inches concrete. I'll have steel studs, hardiboard, and limestone countertop

2. A 5.5" concrete slab for a "Heavy" stone Pizza Oven (right next to island). Planning on using wire mesh.

I live in Minneapolis and have sandy soil the first 6 inches and clay soil beneath that. My question is around prepping for this. Should I dig out 9-12 inches and place class 5 in (with 4" lifts and compaction) and/or dig 8" sonotube footings at 48" depth. The Pavers will have 12" dug out with class 5 for first 11" and 1" of sand (4" lifts).

Another question is should I make the concrete thickness 4" for the standard island (not pizza oven)?

thanks!
Yeager

 

[nealtw]

Welcome to the site. If I understand the question, you are doing a slab on the ground to support the island and oven. You do not want sono tubs sunk as if water can get under the slab and freezes it will lift the slab and the posts below. I would use rebar instead of mesh, a grid work and keep all steel 2" from the top bottom and edges. If you are compacting for the pavers it should be fine for the slab too, just make sure you have good drainage.