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For a finished appearance at the slab edge, score the fiberboard on a table saw so the top 1/2 inch can be easily snapped off after the pour. Then finish the joint with sealant.
Our industry prides itself on quality, both in materials and workmanship. I doubt if any tradesman wakes up in the morning and says to himself, "Today I think I'll include some defects in my work." So why do we accept uncontrolled cracks in concrete slabs as unavoidable? It's a result that no one wants and no one wants to explain, especially to an angry client.
We even have a cliche we use to excuse the phenomenon: "Concrete does two things — it gets hard, and it cracks." But I disagree with that claim. In fact, as a commercial construction superintendent, I have poured 15,000-square-foot slabs containing 260 cubic yards of concrete without a single crack. And I do nothing different than what thousands...
