Digging for a driveway

[Donkmeister]

I'm planning a new driveway, and having measured up I've realised it involves digging a rectangular area of about 45 square metres. As I've got Bedfordshire's heavy clay underneath me and a dodgy back behind me, there's no way I'm doing it by hand!

So, I've got two options:

1) Hire a man with a digger
2) Hire a digger and do it myself

I've never used a digger before... bearing that in mind, is it likely to end in tears if I hire a 1-tonne mini-digger for a weekend with the intention of digging out 45 square metres of heavy clay to about 150mm depth with a relatively flat bottom, and chucking all the spoil into a skip next to the digging area? Or would that be hopelessly optimistic?

AFAIK there are no services running under the area to be dug, but when the time comes I will put a few test holes in the most likely areas that they would be.

 

[HERTS P&D]

No contest on this one. Hire a man with a digger, he can also sort out to have it taken away.

I had a man in who dug out 20 tonnes and had it removed the same day.

Job Done!

The hardest part was paying for it.

Andy

 

[wavetrain]

I

I've never used a digger before... bearing that in mind, is it likely to end in tears if I hire a 1-tonne mini-digger for a weekend with the intention of digging out 45 square metres of heavy clay to about 150mm depth with a relatively flat bottom, and chucking all the spoil into a skip next to the digging area? Or would that be hopelessly optimistic?

Guessing at a bulking factor or 1.5, that is over 10m3 of soil. That will not fit in one skip, maybe not even two. The skip firms do no not permit their largest skips be used for soil. Grab lorry muckaway service is much cheaper for large amounts of soil.

If I was laying a drive, I might have 200mm of hardcore and 100mm of concrete, that it 300mm depth to be dug out, not 150mm.

Can you put the spoil in a heap for a grab lorry to take away at a later date? Out of interest, how much does a weekend's hire of a digger cost?

 

[Donkmeister]

Round here, a weekend of mini-excavator hire is about £150 inc VAT and delivery.

I've no idea what local digger drivers charge, but assuming it's a full day's work I was thinking £300 (£200 for his time, £100 for diesel and running the digger)

I didn't know about the no soil rule for big skips, I worked out I'd need a 14 yard skip which is about 10m3, so I'm glad I'm in the right ballpark! I will get quotes on a grabber muck-away, I hadn't considered that and grabber access would be a piece of cake here.

My plan for the driveway is 100mm of MOT1 hardcore (100mm once compacted), with 50mm of chippings on top. Cars only. Sub soil is very solid clay, and I'd use a geotextile below the MOT1. Does that sound adequate? Is it worth also compacting the chippings on the top, or is that pointless? I was planning on using larger-sized angular chippings as current gravel (smooth, rounded, easy on the paws) has in the past attracted the local moggies!

Considering my other options; blocks, flags, resin-bound gravel, moulded concrete, these are all beyond my price range. I don't fancy plain concrete or tarmac, which leaves (I think) loose aggregate.

 

[r896neo]

I'd beef that up to 150mm for a driveway. no need to compact the dressing stone. Make sure they are up to the job though whatever you choose as 'chippings' often refers to slate or similar which will turn to dust.

 

[Donkmeister]

I'd beef that up to 150mm for a driveway. no need to compact the dressing stone. Make sure they are up to the job though whatever you choose as 'chippings' often refers to slate or similar which will turn to dust.

For the dressing I was thinking either granite or limestone - 20mm chips. I'm pretty sure granite's OK, will car tyres end up crushing limestone?

I understand the need for a decent sub-base with solid slabs of driveway to avoid cracks and disintegration, but on an aggregate-covered driveway is it as crucial? If I lay a 100mm base would I only regret it later on, or is it a matter of giving it a rake-over every few years to hide the tyre tracks?

Cheers for the advice!

 

[mcluma]

a grab lorry (8th wheeler) will cost you arround the 250

 

[r896neo]

As you say it's easy fixed, but you can't just rake the gravel deeper over sunken areas because it gets too deep and you sort of swim in it.
Also hollows in the sub-base just get worse as water migrates there and it stays damp. Even if you want to go for the 4 inches I would definately recommend going to 6 at the entrance.

 

[Donkmeister]

Right, I'm sold. I think I'll go for the 6 inch base then...

The reason for the new driveway is because the current driveway was bodged in by the previous owners... as it turns out they just chucked about 20-30 mm of gravel straight onto the soil. It started to show bald patches almost as soon as I started using it. It works, but it isn't pretty.

Hence the new driveway!

 

[intercityuk]

Dear mr Donk please see my new post New gravel drive, does the loose gravel problem worry you?

Any comments very welcome

Thanks

 

[wavetrain]

Round here, a weekend of mini-excavator hire is about £150 inc VAT and delivery.


I didn't know about the no soil rule for big skips, I worked out I'd need a 14 yard skip which is about 10m3, so I'm glad I'm in the right ballpark! I will get quotes on a grabber muck-away, I hadn't considered that and grabber access would be a piece of cake here.

£150 seems reasonable to me. Find out from you local skip firms how much soil they will take in a skip and post your findings here. I am only going by how it is in Middllesex. Its all down to what they can do with the contents of the skip - gone are the days when it was just all dumped in landfill.