How to prevent digger ruining block pavers when digging footings trench?

[nuzuki]

Hi all,
I needed to get a digger in to dig a trench to extend a garage forwards. Is it worth putting a board down for the digger to work off to prevent damage or sinkage to the rest of the drive or will it make no difference? Digger will be .8 tonne so quite light
Thanks for your advice

 

[Deluks]

Put down a few sheets of 9mm OSB to protect. The weight of the machine won't be an issue though.

 

[noseall]

Hi all,
I needed to get a digger in to dig a trench to extend a garage forwards. Is it worth putting a board down for the digger to work off to prevent damage or sinkage to the rest of the drive or will it make no difference? Digger will be .8 tonne so quite light
Thanks for your advice

There will be inevitable movement of paviors, especially since (I'm guessing) you'll be removing some to extend your trench...? It won't be so much the weight of the machine, rather the movement of the tracks, coupled with the pull-torque of the digger and the inevitable constant shifting of any sheets you attempt and keep beneath that wriggling machine.

The beauty about block paving is that it is very easy to repair. You'll find that the paviors at the leading edge will bear the brunt and become sunken or dislodged, whilst leaving those further from the edge, ok. Allow these to be sacrificial, and don't be tempted to move then, until all the digging work is done.

 

[thomp1983]

If your digging up part of the drive then carefully dig up the sand layer and keep it out the way on a tarp and you can use it to re lay any areas that sink

 

[nuzuki]

Thanks guys. Where I've removed the block pavers so far I've used a couple of old bags of postcrete to haunch up the edge. I'll get some boards down also.

 

[noseall]

Thanks guys. Where I've removed the block pavers so far I've used a couple of old bags of postcrete to haunch up the edge. I'll get some boards down also.

Move that pile of MOT, from the centre, else it will end up in the trenches or get (soil) contaminated. It will also restrict measuring. It will generally be a pain. You can then dig off the over-site material, whist digging out the trenches.
Store it somewhere nearby.