This is the standard in Minnesota in my experience for a detached garage. A thickened or monolithic concrete slab. Edges are deeper and service to control load I assume. However 95% of the garages I see have settlement in the first 3rd of the concrete block that sits ontop of the slab and an adjacent crack in the slab. They usually have a gable roof with the ride parallel from the front to the back of the garage with the vehicle door at the front. I suspect that the load of the door opening is putting excessive weight at the front at this area where cracks are usually found. Wouldn’t it make sense to add a thicker edge along the front, before the apron, or perhaps thicker thick edge at the front as well? Not code in MN, but curious?
We put a deeper footing across the garage door opening because the frost gets driven deep and into the garage by the vehicle traffic if we don’t do the deeper footing across the opening. Then we have heaving and cracking.
Edit: And we put the slab/apron joint on the inside under the garage door so chances of filling with water and freezing are less.
See, and thats what i’m thinking, however this is the standard here… Something I think should be addressed. I can say 90% of garages here have a crack and settlement within the first 1/3rd of the slab. Now this is usually addressed with a controlled crack but it still leads to cracks in the block.
Depending on where you are the turn down footing in your photo is above the frost line. In addition I suspect the soil was not properly compacted. Throw a 4000# vehicle on top and what could possibly go wrong.
I’m in Minnesota. Surprised Jeff hasn’t chimed in. But yes. It’s all disturbed soil but in Minnesota for detatched garages we don’t need to go below frost line. A monolithic slab works…
