please

i've dug a big hole to make a patio at the bottom of the garden to stand a shed on etc.

the hole has an area of 11 square metres (118 square feet), and is 150mm (6 inches deep)

i intend to put hardcore down and compact it to a thickness of 100mm (4 inches) before mortar and then concrete slabs. does that sound about right?

the soil is what i would call normal soil, not clay or sand. what kind of hardcore do i need, as i've seen lots of different materials around?

something like this?

http://www.wickes.co.uk/invt/220082?...9bQPNXrg%3D%3D

how many of those would i need for that area and depth - a volume of 1.1 cubic metres (39 cubic feet) when compacted?

thanks for any advice

 

thats just sand with pebbles in it... if you are on about hard core, then you are looking at old smashed up bricks and stuff...

there is some stuff called "MOT" or something thats basically like sof limestone... you compact it down and it sets really hard... think they use it as part of the core foundation of most roads...

go to buildbase and try and talk to them... wicks is just a hypes up B&Q... they dont know loads, thye just sell it...

 

I've got lots of nice dense heavy concrete piled up at home which is waiting for a good home

It will need smashing up, but will do the job nicely for you

 

Thats sand for building foundations mate.

You want a material called Type-1 (also called MOT) its a aggregate from about 30mm down to dust, once compacted its bloody hard. It doesnt really set as it uses the fine aggregate to interlock the bigeer stuff.

Find your nearest gravel pit and order it from there, it will be cheaper than buying form the likes of Wickes and B&Q, plus they will deliver it most of the time for a small charge.

You will need to hire a wacker plate, but get it all laid out and just hire it for 1/2 a day it won't cost very much, and it wacks down pretty quick.

Hope this helps mate.

 

thanks for the replies fellas

need to find me a supplier for some Type-1 (MOT) then

frog thanks for the offer. if i had a suitable vehicle i would come and collect it.

 

If I had a suitable vehicle I'd deliver it Anything to avoid paying for a skip

 

yeah, they'r enot cheap are they.

i had a 4.5 cubic metre one dropped off yesterday and it's already more than half full of top soil after shifting several barrow loads yesterday evening.

only about a third of the pile is gone, so i think i'll need another

 

bttt for more advice as i've never done this before and don't really know what i'm doing

how much MOT do i need for that area / volume when compacted down?

the hole has an area of 11 square metres (118 square feet), and with a compacted depth of 100mm (4 inches), that's a volume of 1.1 cubic metres (39 cubic feet)

i want to order it in today and get the compactor over the weekend to fill it in.

also, mortar to go on top of the compacted base and fix the slabs. 4 to 1 mix of sharp sand to cement yes? again, how much of the stuff will i need for a hole that big? will be doing about 25mm deep of mortar

thanks for any advice.

 

No idea nick, but BTT for ya

 

cheers greg. sorted now though

called meakins and they advised everything and will deliver several tonnes of stuff that i have to shift by barrow over the weekend. that's gonna be fun.

by the way, i should have some space left in the skip if you want to bring any of your concrete over? i guess you don't have anything to bring it in, but the offer is there not far from you, binfield

 

Nice one, I bet your shirts won't fit you anymore by monday, I swear my arms have taken on an inch or two since I started digging up my drive

I've piled it all up in a corner of the drive for now, I need to go through a big clearout exercise in the garage/workshop/out houses, etc... so will probably get a skip once I have enough to fill one up properly.

Thanks for the offer though Much appreciated.

 

no worries. for the future, i have been using www.rklhireandsales.com

shit website, but good supplier of skips

i called late on monday afternoon and was too late for one the same day, but they delivered on tuesday as requested, took it away today after i called yesterday evening, and brought me another

the guy at the end of the phone wasn't too friendly, but i was interested in being his mate, just getting a good service from them, and they've delivered that

 

I know your sorted, but for future reference ring you local skip/recycling company and get them to drop you xx tonnes of crusher run off....it is the best hardcore you can get...

basically it is all the brick and concrete thats gone through the crusher... cheaper than limestone too. We get it for 4 quid a ton

 

Lee Reynolds good advice, thanks matey