I need to move my vacuum bay. I don't know why anyone would place a vacuum bay at the enterance to the selfserve bays. It blocks traffic when someone is vacuuming and I see customers leave all the time rather than wait. How is a vacuum bay constructed? I know its block layed up, but is there a footer under the block? I live in Ohio so I assume I would dig down to the frost line and start laying block? Is the top just formed up and poured concrete? Any suggestions would be helpful.
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How to build a vacuum bay
- Thread starter sparkey
- Start date
I.B. Washincars
Car Washer Emeritus
I'm assuming you mean a vacuum "Island" and not an actual bay. I'm in Ky and have two washes with footers and block. One is split face block surrounded by asphalt, the other one, concrete. It is not a clean transition to the pavement with the split face and is a little messy around the edges.
I have two other washes with concrete lots, with the islands built with brick sitting right on top of the slab. I've had no issues with this way and actually prefer it since it makes a cleaner looking island.
The tops on all are formed and poured concrete. The hollows are filled with scrap brick and rock.
I'm in total agreement on not placing the vacs in front of the bays. I have two set up that way and think it is a stupid way to do it and will probably move them one day. I think it's the "that's the way we always do it" and copycat mentality that has let this poor design live on
I have two other washes with concrete lots, with the islands built with brick sitting right on top of the slab. I've had no issues with this way and actually prefer it since it makes a cleaner looking island.
The tops on all are formed and poured concrete. The hollows are filled with scrap brick and rock.
I'm in total agreement on not placing the vacs in front of the bays. I have two set up that way and think it is a stupid way to do it and will probably move them one day. I think it's the "that's the way we always do it" and copycat mentality that has let this poor design live on
mjc3333
Member
All of my vac islands are a solid concrete block poured on top of the asphalt. You just have form the area needed pour the concrete then vibrate the air out. No need to dig a footer. The islands each have two vacs. Each island is 2.5 feet high by 3 feet wide by 5 feet long. Each island is about 2 cubic yards of concrete.
After 2 of my vac islands got destroyed by vehicles running into them, I rebuilt them with solid concrete!!!! Too bad for the next guy that runs into them!! We just formed them with plywood forms and used sono tubes for the trash basins, ran our conduits placed some rebar and poured the concrete. Finish the outside however you see fit. No bollards necessary when done this way. Oh yeah we just poured them on the ground where we wanted them.
Earl Weiss
Well-known member
Have made numerous islands using plywood forms and block / concrete or Sonotubes. IMNSHO the most attractive Islands are Stainless steel or aluminum. Pricey but little maintenance to keep looking great. Never use foundations. No longer run conduit under and up into forms. Too many times someone hit them and tore up the electrical I now stub up nect to the island, usualy in fron ot behind. Put a box on the stub and anotehr on the island. Attache the 2 with liquitite conduit. Mostly solved the issue.
MEP001
Well-known member
I know someone who also likes the stainless islands, but he builds a concrete platform for them with conduit running up inside, then puts the stainless island on that, runs a dozen or so pieces of rebar into the platform and fills that with concrete. Between the weight and the rebar, there's no way a car or light truck is going to move it, and the stainless won't dent if it's hit. He'll admit it's a little overkill, but it looks great and will last forever.
Ours are a brick form filled with dirt and topped with concrete. I wasn't there when they did it - I left instructions that they were to put some rebar around the perimeter and build a form inside so it wouldn't require as much concrete to fill, but that didn't get done. So far no one has hit one, but if it's hit hard enough the whole thing will crumble. A lining of concrete with rebar reinforcing it to the slab would keep it intact and in place.
Ours are a brick form filled with dirt and topped with concrete. I wasn't there when they did it - I left instructions that they were to put some rebar around the perimeter and build a form inside so it wouldn't require as much concrete to fill, but that didn't get done. So far no one has hit one, but if it's hit hard enough the whole thing will crumble. A lining of concrete with rebar reinforcing it to the slab would keep it intact and in place.
mjc3333
Member
We actually had a person drive into one of our solid concrete islands at 55 mph. Totalled the Jeep, knocked over the island and vacs, but stopped from hitting the car wash bldg. I actually have video of the accident. Destroyed the vacs but not the island. The Jeep went airborne on its back bumper facing straight up towards the sky. It stopped dead in its tracks. The front end was pushed back to the cabin of the Jeep.
This was not typical. Had numerous cars back into the islands with no damages.
This was not typical. Had numerous cars back into the islands with no damages.
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In 1985 I relocated a couple of vac islands at one of my washes. The vac islands were 12' long. They were a poured concrete slab, then bricked up about two feet then poured full with a smooth concrete cap. I had a septic tank company come in with with one of their trucks. We dug underneath the vac island, attached their "sling", lifted the vac island and relocated them. They are still in use today.
Earl Weiss
Well-known member
Take note of the term "Light Truck"
Had a 24 Foot rental truck hit a concrete Island I had which was 2x2x8 solid concrete and move it.
Had solid cement 30" diameter by 2 feet High knocked over.
HAd Settling cause coduit to break under Coleman Islands.
This expeience has taught me not to run conduit under and thru islands where it can't be accessed.
I still run it thu but from the side with a box attached to the island. If it moves or settles the whole thing moves. Only the connection point which is outside the island gets severed.
Thanks for all the good replys. If you pour your vac island on top of the asphault and have to redo the asphault does this create a problem? My lot has been paved several times and I can forsee having to remove some asphault at some point in time because my grade is getting to high.
Do you ever have problems with the weight of the vacuum bay being to much for the asphault?
Do you ever have problems with the weight of the vacuum bay being to much for the asphault?
Eric H
Well-known member
I would cut the asphalt out to get down to dirt. I'd be afraid that the asphalt would allow the island to sink on a really hot day. I parked my backhoe on the 2 year old driveway at my house on a nice hot August afternoon and the tires left marks in the driveway.
My oldest wash has islands that were poured before being paved and have not moved in spite of being hit numerous times.
Earl Weiss
Well-known member
Funny you should ask. Never an issue with a Vac Island. I guess the surface area is reelatively large compared to the weight. But I just had to straighten a Coleman Vendor Island tht's only about 18" wide by 8ft long and 4 Feet high. I think the lean may have started with it being hit.
mjc3333
Member
When we poured the concrete slab, we did it on top of the binder which is thicker than the top coat of asphalt. Then paved the entire lot with the top coat around the vac islands. Say 4 to 5 inches for the binder and say 1 to 2 inches for the top coat.
The binder is 4B (the size of stone/tar mixture) with the top coat more like 2B or even 1B (smaller stone within the mixture) for a smooth surface.
As long as the asphalt is prepped the correct way, the weight of the vac island should not have an effect on that area of asphalt even right on top of the top coat.
The reason the backhoe left marks in the driveway is the amount of weight the machine weighs (15,000 lbs) that is concentrated on small areas (tires) instead of being spread out as the vac island would be at a much lower weight say 7000 to 8000 lbs (appx 2 cu yards of concrete).
