[KTL]

Boy, I sure hope he's using ready-mixed concrete from a supplier vs. mixing and placing his own with bags. Self mix is a recipe for disaster and do-it-all-over again for a first timer.

I'm on the yes vote for rebar, depending on the conditions (is the street network in your area well graded and not showing signs of settlement) and what your cross section is. Rebar is indeed cheap, easy to place (stirrups are available from whomever you get the rebar from) and is not going to harm anything even if you do it completely wrong (not likely). Our Village code requirement where I work (Village Engineering Division) is two #4 bars throughout, contraction joints sawcut every 15 ft. and 60 ft. spacing on expansion joints.

So, yes, people do use it and it is worthwhile from a long term maintenance standpoint in a rather bad freeze-thaw region like Chicagoland. Place it in the bottom 1/3rd of the curb section, where the possibility of tension is located in the cross section. Obviously to dowel it into the adjoining curb, you need to utilize shorter bars in the existing curb, and then wire tie the long bars that span the curb trench into the short bars you have doweled into the existing curb.

But honestly, of most importance IMO is the curb section. Our curb & gutter spec is a 9 in. front depth and 10-1/2 in. back depth (where the gutter has an actual "back" on it) and an 18 in. minimum width. Most often a 9 in. "depressed" curb (basically a gutter only) in our area will experience cracking at heavily trafficked intersection crossings, so we ensure a heavy cross section at those locations. There a minimum 12 in. depth and 24 inch width is desired. In a residential setting, proper depth is the most important. So don't skimp there.

You can age the surface fairly easily. Lightly sprinkle some dirt on it.......... Not kidding. What do you think is happening with age? Fine dirt particles find their way into the pores of the concrete and stick to it. You'd just be initializing that process with a light, uniform sprinkling of dirt.

And to end this babbling of mine, without question the MOST important thing is to stay off of it for as long as possible. Drive around it if you can for as long as you can. Nothing F's up our rehab work better than impatient residents who absolutely have to get back into their driveway shortly after the curb is placed. Then they wonder why their curb is a piece of crap in the years soon after street rehab project is gone......