Hello everyone,
I am currently renewing my driveway. So far, about 60 square meters (645 square feet) of old paving have been removed, and now new paving will be installed.
What I noticed is that there was sand beneath the old paving, and below that an extremely hard layer. I assume this is crushed stone (gravel) that was compacted very firmly about 40 years ago.
Unfortunately, this layer is uneven and not level in some places. Before spreading the 5 cm (2 inches) bedding layer of grit on top, I would like to have a smooth, level base layer. What do you recommend for this? I initially thought of adding more crushed stone, but I am concerned that I won’t be able to properly compact it into the existing base with a plate compactor. This layer is really hard, almost like concrete.
I was told that the bedding layer of grit should not be thicker than 5 cm (2 inches). But how can I best level out these uneven spots in the base layer to create a flat surface?
Thanks for your advice!
I am currently renewing my driveway. So far, about 60 square meters (645 square feet) of old paving have been removed, and now new paving will be installed.
What I noticed is that there was sand beneath the old paving, and below that an extremely hard layer. I assume this is crushed stone (gravel) that was compacted very firmly about 40 years ago.
Unfortunately, this layer is uneven and not level in some places. Before spreading the 5 cm (2 inches) bedding layer of grit on top, I would like to have a smooth, level base layer. What do you recommend for this? I initially thought of adding more crushed stone, but I am concerned that I won’t be able to properly compact it into the existing base with a plate compactor. This layer is really hard, almost like concrete.
I was told that the bedding layer of grit should not be thicker than 5 cm (2 inches). But how can I best level out these uneven spots in the base layer to create a flat surface?
Thanks for your advice!
Lowfox schrieb:
What I noticed is that there was sand under the old pavement, and below that an extremely hard layer. I assume this is gravel that was compacted very densely about 40 years ago. Unfortunately, this layer is somewhat uneven and not perfectly flat in places.That sounds like a "corrugated surface" – try looking up "water-bound road surface."https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
O
Osnabruecker8 Nov 2021 13:54Applying gravel thinly and unevenly is unlikely to achieve the desired result.
You can excavate the existing sub-base (about 15 cm (6 inches) should be sufficient) and mix it with new material, then compact it to the correct level.
You can excavate the existing sub-base (about 15 cm (6 inches) should be sufficient) and mix it with new material, then compact it to the correct level.
Thank you for your responses.
Tearing everything up and starting over would of course be the best solution if we disregard the effort involved. I agree with that. I was hoping there might be a somewhat less extensive solution. Here are some ideas that came to mind spontaneously, just as suggestions:
- Apply 2/5 crushed stone (granular base), level the surface, then compact and vibrate it. Only after that apply the paving bedding layer.
- Apply concrete in certain spots to even out the uneven areas. Probably not a good idea due to potential water pooling, despite having two drainage channels.
- Could anything positive be achieved here by using sand?
As I said, removing everything and starting over is a huge effort. That alone would mean getting rid of 9 cubic meters (11.8 cubic yards) of very hard rubble, then bringing in about 15 cubic meters (19.6 cubic yards) of loose gravel again. There must be a simpler yet still reasonable solution…
Best regards
Tearing everything up and starting over would of course be the best solution if we disregard the effort involved. I agree with that. I was hoping there might be a somewhat less extensive solution. Here are some ideas that came to mind spontaneously, just as suggestions:
- Apply 2/5 crushed stone (granular base), level the surface, then compact and vibrate it. Only after that apply the paving bedding layer.
- Apply concrete in certain spots to even out the uneven areas. Probably not a good idea due to potential water pooling, despite having two drainage channels.
- Could anything positive be achieved here by using sand?
As I said, removing everything and starting over is a huge effort. That alone would mean getting rid of 9 cubic meters (11.8 cubic yards) of very hard rubble, then bringing in about 15 cubic meters (19.6 cubic yards) of loose gravel again. There must be a simpler yet still reasonable solution…
Best regards
Lowfox schrieb:
That’s 9 cubic meters (about 12 cubic yards) of very hard rubble that needs to be removed, then around 15 cubic meters (about 20 cubic yards) of loose gravel has to be brought in again. There must be an easier yet still reasonable method…Yes, that has already been mentioned:Osnabruecker schrieb:
You can break up the existing subbase (around 15 cm (6 inches) should be enough), mix it with new material, and then properly compact it to the required level.I agree with that. Cover the paving, sweep away the sand, use a garden rake to work on the washboard surface, rake, compact, tamp, leave it to weather for a month, then rebuild the sand and paving.https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
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