ᐅ Material to fill the approximately 2-meter-deep space beneath the new terrace
Created on: 4 Mar 2021 08:28
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theChaoZZ
Good morning,
In spring, a new terrace will be built next to our house.
Currently, there is a room under this terrace with a 5,000-liter (1,320-gallon) oil tank, which will be removed soon since we are switching to gas heating.
I want to fill and compact this room (2 meters deep (6.6 feet); 2.5 meters wide (8.2 feet); 3.5 meters long (11.5 feet)) so that we can later lay terrace slabs on a gravel bed above it.
My question is about the appropriate material to fill this space.
The terrace should not sink later on the compacted base. Of course, the terrace slabs will still have their own separate gravel and crushed stone bed.
- According to online sources, a mineral material is definitely recommended. Crushed stone would be suitable here.
The angular stones interlock when compacted, providing stability.
- A friend recommended sand as a filling material, since it prevents air pockets.
What would you recommend?
In spring, a new terrace will be built next to our house.
Currently, there is a room under this terrace with a 5,000-liter (1,320-gallon) oil tank, which will be removed soon since we are switching to gas heating.
I want to fill and compact this room (2 meters deep (6.6 feet); 2.5 meters wide (8.2 feet); 3.5 meters long (11.5 feet)) so that we can later lay terrace slabs on a gravel bed above it.
My question is about the appropriate material to fill this space.
The terrace should not sink later on the compacted base. Of course, the terrace slabs will still have their own separate gravel and crushed stone bed.
- According to online sources, a mineral material is definitely recommended. Crushed stone would be suitable here.
The angular stones interlock when compacted, providing stability.
- A friend recommended sand as a filling material, since it prevents air pockets.
What would you recommend?
P
pagoni202011 Mar 2021 12:38theChaoZZ schrieb:
Would you have it filled easily for €2000 + VAT or would you rather do it yourself in three days to save about €1000? Only you can answer that question for yourself. Ultimately, it may even make sense if you only save €100. Everyone has their own limits in this regard.
Loading, unloading, and compacting 25 tons of material.
That's a lot of wheelbarrow trips—I would roughly estimate 200-300 trips.
By tamper, do you mean a manual tamper?
Have you done this before? It’s tough work; your arms will feel heavy after just a few minutes.
Do you have space for 25 tons of material? That is quite a large pile.
If you have 2-3 strong helpers and plan to make a nice barbecue evening out of it afterwards, doing it yourself is possible. If you’re alone, it’s better to have it done professionally—you’ll regret it after the first day.
That's a lot of wheelbarrow trips—I would roughly estimate 200-300 trips.
By tamper, do you mean a manual tamper?
Have you done this before? It’s tough work; your arms will feel heavy after just a few minutes.
Do you have space for 25 tons of material? That is quite a large pile.
If you have 2-3 strong helpers and plan to make a nice barbecue evening out of it afterwards, doing it yourself is possible. If you’re alone, it’s better to have it done professionally—you’ll regret it after the first day.
When there is a pile, a small skid-steer loader is the best option. Drive the bucket underneath, lift the full bucket (about 2 wheelbarrow loads), drive to the destination, dump it, level it out, and repeat.
If it goes into a container, make sure to have it unloaded; one day is enough for that.
If it goes into a container, make sure to have it unloaded; one day is enough for that.
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theChaoZZ11 Mar 2021 15:19Doing it yourself would mean having the material (2 truckloads of about 12-13 tons each) dumped in the yard. Then rent a Bobcat with a bucket and continuously transport the material to the pit. The Bobcat can carry 400 liters (about 105 gallons) per trip.
In the pit, every 30 cm (12 inches), someone would need to compact the material using the rented vibratory tamper. This would be done layer by layer until the pit is completely filled.
Material and rental costs would be around €1200 for 3 days.
However, I will talk to the construction company again to see if I can negotiate the costs (over €2000 plus VAT) down a bit.
In the pit, every 30 cm (12 inches), someone would need to compact the material using the rented vibratory tamper. This would be done layer by layer until the pit is completely filled.
Material and rental costs would be around €1200 for 3 days.
However, I will talk to the construction company again to see if I can negotiate the costs (over €2000 plus VAT) down a bit.
With a Bobcat and a proper vibrating plate compactor, it’s a completely different matter.
If you have two people, it can be done in one day.
By the way, your 25 tons are clearly not enough.
According to an online calculator, for 2m x 2.5m x 3.5m (6.6ft x 8.2ft x 11.5ft) and 15% compaction, you need almost 35 tons of recycled material. Even without compaction, it should be close to 30 tons.
If you have two people, it can be done in one day.
By the way, your 25 tons are clearly not enough.
According to an online calculator, for 2m x 2.5m x 3.5m (6.6ft x 8.2ft x 11.5ft) and 15% compaction, you need almost 35 tons of recycled material. Even without compaction, it should be close to 30 tons.