Vibrating roller or wacker plate for  sub base - 4/20 aggregate

[Hairs]

Brets/Hansons have been and tipped the first layer of my sub-base 4/20 aggregate. It didn't seem to be mixed at all small stones on top and bigger stones underneath, Vice-versa when up ended. I did my best to mix the stones together with a spade and wheel barrow :p

My question would be what weight compacting equipment should I be using to compact one 150mm layer and 100mm lay of crushed 4/20 limestone..?

[seanandruby]

scroll down to compaction chart

[Hairs]

scroll down to compaction chart

Ok so I need a roller about 1.5 tons and about 16 times around :O bloody hell that will be some roller ffs

[seanandruby]

Do it in 75ml layers with a heavy duty plate compactor. Is your sub soil good?

[Hairs]

Do it in 75ml layers with a heavy duty plate compactor. Is your sub soil good?

The first layer is down already which is approximately 150mm. The sub soil is clay, you ask if that's good, probably not the best.

The only basis I have to go on is next door slapped a 100m thick concrete strip in there front garden and parked a car on it for years. It has cracked but no sinking.

Hairs

[seanandruby]

It pays to ask advice before you start.
Roller it is then ???

[Tony McC]

That Type 3 aggregate (4/20) does not compact anywhere near as much as you might expect. The lack of fines means it isn't "fluffed up" like a Type 1 or Type 2 aggregate, so needs less in the way of compaction.

Although you could use a roller, if you can get a 75kg+ plate compactor, and whack it in layers of 100mm at a time, that will do the job just as well as a half-tonne roller.

[Thefox]

if you could be bothered you could remove half or two 3rds and place on a tarp, i would prefer to compact 50mm at a time which a good sized plate would be fine. i also like to dampen not soak the material first first.

[Dave_L]

Bomag 18/45 plate or similar will be just fine, 85kg in weight.

[Hairs]

if you could be bothered you could remove half or two 3rds and place on a tarp, i would prefer to compact 50mm at a time which a good sized plate would be fine. i also like to dampen not soak the material first first.

Whacker plate coming Tuesday so will post some pictures of some whacking then.

Does wetting the aggregate help.? I have the first layer covered over to protect from debris, I was just going to wack over that.

[digerjones]

Yes damping it definitely helps. This weather you need plenty

[Hairs]

Yes damping it definitely helps. This weather you need plenty

Ok Cool, Thanks for the advise, I give it a good watering with a watercan before I start the wacking