Construction first starts with some land survey to understand the current geography. Indentifying low areas or high areas to later be leveled. 

After the land is surveyed then the substrate (often road base) is added in and leveled flat. Road base is a combination of sand and gravel, which allows for drainage under the concrete. 

After the substrate has been prepared "forms" are added. These can be wood, plastic, or metal and will make the shape the concrete will form. 

Now that the substrate has been leveled and the shape of the concrete is determined. It is time to compact all the loose road base, making the ground nice and firm to hold the concrete.

Rebar is finally added in as the last step before concrete is poured. In this image a vapor barrier (plastic cover) has been added to reduce gas vapor transmissions on an interior slab. Vapor barriers are typically not required on exterior slabs.

Concrete is poured. Depending on the square footage of the project it can be poured either by wheel barrel, pump (in photo), or a boom pump. Boom pumps are required for difficult to reach locations. 

Lastly the finishers get on the concrete once it's hard enough and smooth out the concrete with various tools. The finial finish is what gives concrete its flat, smooth look!

The next day crew members will return to saw cut in joints. These saw cut joints create intentional weak points in the concrete to control cracking. (Sometimes the joints are cut by the finishers while the concrete is still wet).

Let the concrete dry for at least 24-48 hours before walking on it. Enjoy your new concrete for years to come!