ᐅ How many centimeters do paving stones typically settle after being compacted?

Hello everyone,

I have an existing raised terrace and would like to add a second, lower terrace. For this, I plan to create a C-shaped strip foundation. On top of that, I want to lay 2-3 rows of natural stone wall blocks (about 28 x 21 x 14 cm (11 x 8 x 6 inches)), bonded with thin-bed mortar. The entire terrace will be only about 30-45 cm (12-18 inches) high and cover an area of around 15 square meters (160 square feet).

The resulting "interior space" will be filled with gravel and compacted, a bedding layer will be applied, and then approximately 8 cm (3 inches) thick paving stones will be installed on top. The border wall and the paving stones should end up at the same height.

My question is whether I need to set the paving stones higher so that after compacting they are level with the wall. If yes, approximately how many centimeters? Or does the paver not settle any further after installation? I have no experience with this.

That probably depends a bit on your compactor.
I would immediately ask myself whether your strip foundation with natural stones can withstand the compactor.

The strip foundation definitely, but what about the glued stones?

I have also been considering this question. Perhaps I should soften the term “natural stone” for this context. I am referring to stones like, for example, the Amalfi series from Koll. It’s certainly not genuine natural stone. The surfaces are also polished smooth. I would compact the gravel fill in layers. The surface does not need to withstand heavy loads. I would have used a small plate compactor. I believe they compact with 20-30 kN.

It depends on how much gravel is laid. With a normal gravel layer of 3-4 cm (1 to 1.5 inches), you can compact it down by about 1 cm (0.4 inches). However, you must not vibrate the concrete stones! It’s best to use a rubber pad for compaction.

It is not the paving that is compacted, but its subbase. Specifically, it is compacted evenly to prevent any settling afterward.

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The substructure and paving must be compacted! Otherwise, the pavement will settle unevenly. It would be a shame if after 1-2 years you start to see the first sagging areas.