Concrete Knowledge Centre
Plain-language guides to front steps and residential concrete, researched from CSA A23.1, the Ontario Building Code, Concrete Ontario, the National Research Council and the City of Ottawa. Every technical claim has a source.
Concrete science
What 32 MPa means, which CSA exposure class your steps, driveway or pad falls in, and why air content and water-cement ratio matter as much.
Read →Concrete science
Freeze-thaw, de-icing salt, drainage, finishing errors and Leda clay: what actually breaks down concrete steps, walkways and driveways in Ottawa.
Read →Winter care
Rock salt, calcium and magnesium chloride, fertilizer melts and sand compared: what Concrete Ontario says is safe on concrete steps in an Ottawa winter.
Read →Permits & code
Rise, run, landings, handrails and guards for front steps under the 2024 Ontario Building Code, in millimetres and inches, with the recent minimum-run change.
Read →Permits & code
The City hardscaping licence, written contracts, the concrete spec to ask for, locates, permits and who does the work: a checklist for hiring in Ottawa.
Read →Concrete science
From locates and a compacted base to finishing, control joints, curing and sealing: how residential concrete is poured properly in Ottawa.
Read →Steps
There's no honest single lifespan for concrete steps. Here are the factors that decide it in Ottawa: mix, air, finishing, curing, base, drainage and salt.
Read →Winter care
No de-icer, sand for traction, plough spray, shovels, snow piles and sealing: how to get new concrete steps or a driveway through its first winter.
Read →Permits & code
When new front steps can need a City of Ottawa building permit, what's exempt, right-of-way access permits, contractor licensing and how to check.
Read →Steps
How precast concrete steps are cast at the plant, the sizes Ottawa makers offer, and what happens on installation day, from base prep to same-day use.
Read →Interactive MPa guide
Pick an application. Every figure traces to CSA A23.1 or the Ontario Building Code.
Minimum 28-day strength
32MPa
≈ 4,640 psi
CSA names steps and porches specifically in exposure class C-2 — plain concrete exposed to freeze-thaw and de-icing salt. That means 32 MPa at 28 days, 5–8% entrained air and a low water-cement ratio so the surface paste is dense enough to resist scaling.
CSA A23.1 Table 2 (C-2: garage floors, porches, steps…) · knowledge/concrete-facts.md F-MPA-01 to 03
Minimums from CSA A23.1 exposure classes, the 2024 Ontario Building Code (9.3.1.6–9.3.1.7) and Concrete Ontario's residential guide. Designs by an engineer or structural elements can call for more. We confirm the mix for your job in the written quote.
Damage dictionary
Eight common types of concrete damage, why they happen in Ottawa, and what they usually take to fix.
Usually: resurface
Usually: repair
Usually: resurface
Usually: resurface
Often: replace
Often: replace
Usually: repair
Usually: resurface
Not sure which one you have? Take the 6-question repair-or-replace check
Free quote · Ottawa & area
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