Digging driveway / utility pipes not very deep / covering / compacting

[skhudy]

I've dug up half my front driveway and filled skip 1, another skip to go.

The services to the property are not very far down from the surface, the (plastic) water is around 30cm, electricity and gas (iron pipes) around 40cm. I've done my old drive before and they were deeper than this!

You may question why I have dug to 40cm when you need 25-30cm - it's because the original drive has just been built over and the current level is too high (at the damp course level) and I wanted to lower it by approx 10cm

So what to do, don't want to damage anything (especially gas) with the type 1 and compacting.

Would it be bedding the pipes in a few inches of sharp sand, then covering with more sand, type 1 on top, or is there something else I should use or do? It's a heavy clay soil if it matters.

Many thanks

 

[John D v2.0]

You may question why I have dug to 40cm when you need 25-30cm - it's because the original drive has just been built over and the current level is too high (at the damp course level) and I wanted to lower it by approx 10cm

100mm hardcore, then what's your top layer? 40mm block pavers and 20mm sharp sand? plus drop 10cm only comes to 260mm overall.

 

[skhudy]

60mm pavers, 20mm sand, 150mm type1. The drop will be approx 100mm, possibly up to 150mm - I've gone maybe a couple of inches more than needed but the 2 neighbours 1 is high, 1 low, difficult to judge how much needs to be dug out and will get more hardcore as needed. Even if I dug a little less utilities would be just below the hardcore and could be damaged when compacting so it's good I've uncovered them - that's was my thinking anyway!

 

[John D v2.0]

Oh maybe you can put a slope in - ours was a right pain we had high ground levels at the house and a big step to the pavement. Then the side drive had been sloped a fair bit. So we ended up all over the place trying to match the levels.
When we looked at the neighbors they either did a regular 2d plane and a big concrete fillet step where necessary, or a trench down to the house. With drainage down there to keep the wall dry. That might be a better option for you too?
Check out paving expert for other suggestions about keeping the wall dry with adverse levels.

 

[skhudy]

I think I'll figure out the level once I start tipping in hardcore, but my original question about the gas / electricity iron pipes... Bedding in sharp sand, sand over the top? any special stuff / i should lay on top?

 

[oldbutnotdead]

Sand or pea shingle bedding and cover for the pipes/ducts then 50mm pavers on top (yes they'll be buried in the driveway but they'll still spread the load) would be my suggestion. Sign up to your local Freecycle group- there's usually someone wanting rid of paving slabs.

Plan B would be to create a service duct- brick/block retaining wall either side of the ducts (foundations below their level), fill duct with sand/pea shingle, pavers over the top at the same level as your proposed driveway level.