Plate Compactor / Roller

[billm]

After digging out the lawn and tarmac drive I'm going to compact the 100mm crusher run in my residential driveway in 2 x 50mm stages.

If I roll it with a walk behind roller first will it compress harder than just a plate compactor or will several passes of a plate compactor / wacker do the job just as good ?

 

[^woody^]

Either / or

 

[r896neo]

A vibrating roller will happily do the lot in one hit. A heavy 80kg+ vibrating plate would also handle 100mm in one go but you'd need 10 passes all over which will take a while if its any sort of size. As you suggested 2 layers of 50mm is a better bet with a plate.

Oh and you also should also aim for 150mm minimum under a driveway. 100mm is not enough.

 

[billm]

So I've got a guy starting Monday to dig out and stone up for me and I'll do the block paving myself.

I know that unsupported edge blocks should be laid on a damp grit sand / cement haunch so they won't move but I'm wondering if the first row of blocks that will be right across the driveway entrance (see photo: red border) should also be laid on the same cement mix as they are going to get more compression from the car than any other blocks on the drive. Or is it standard practice to just lay them on the screeded sand as per all the others. I'm hoping to level the drive to the council footpath without using the larger edge/kerb blocks but there is a slight fall to the right on the footpath so that might not be possible and I don't want the car sitting on a L-R slope looking like it's got dodgy suspension !

?

 

[^woody^]

Lay them on a 100mm concrete brace. Also, if the public path is uneven lay the blocks in a straight/level line and not following the path edge, and make good the path to the blocks

 

[r896neo]

Similar to woody I lay the first 4/5 feet of a drive with semi dry compacted lean mix concrete instead of normal sub base. It stops the wheel rutting. I lay the first couple of courses on a strong semi dry compacted screed 4:1 grit sand - cement. Then i carry on with normal grit sand only from there on but you get the added support of the concrete sub base for that first few feet.

 

[billm]

Thanks guys, that makes sense as when I walk around looking at older drives, they are almost always rutted within the 1st yard or so of the entrance.

 

[billm]

A neighbour had his drive block paved by a local firm just 2 weeks ago and its rutting in the drive entrance already. I mentioned your advice about the lean mix concrete in the first 4 ft so he's going to get them back to fix it.
What mix would you suggest I use for that first 4ft strip in the drive entrance?

 

[r896neo]

Semi dry lean mix, 1:3:6 It important to compact it but level it carefully first as once compacted its is a pain to remove high spots etc.

Your neighbours drive rutting after 2 weeks is either caused by inadequate compaction of sub base or more likely too deep or wrong sand.

Many novice contractors will simply give the sub base a good few passes rather than compaction to refusal which can take 10+ passes all over and take a couple of hours depending on sizes of plate and drive.

 

[billm]

I finished the drive 2 weeks ago so I thought I'd better post some before and after photos. I'm pleased with it and had several passers-by say it looked great so it must be passable !

Thanks for all your help and advice guys, much appreciated

 

[Ian H]

Come and do mine!!!