Foundations - Using mot type 1

[Stewart Towes]

Hi all.
A project that I am thinking of undertaking asks me to lay a foundation using MOT Type 1 material.Not wanting to appear thick but is it the same as sharp sand?I looked on the index but I couldnt see sharp sand anywhere,hence the inquiry.Also,what would you say what "free draining material" was
Any advice would be much appreciated.
Regards Stewart.

[Ted]

Type 1 is not sharp sand.

It is:

"a specification for granular materials used as sub-base, as defined by the Specification for Highway Works, clause 803. Type 1 materials include crushed rock, crushed slag, crushed concrete and well-burnt, non-plastic shale - but sand and gravels are excluded."

http://www.aggregain.org.uk/terminology/type_1.html

You can buy it in any decent builder's merchants (ie, Buildbase, Build Center, Jewsons, TP etc)

[Stewart Towes]

Thanks Ted.
So,when Im ordering the materials that I want,do I say "I want to order,whatever and the quantity of MOT Type 1 .Like I said in my post Im not that hot on things like that.Is this MOT Type 1 one specific material or does it take varying form and colours?

[Ted]

You can normally only get it by the tonne (in a bulk bag that is 850kg min normally)...

Just say you want so much type 1... get a little more and dig a little deeper is my advice rather than skimp...

[Stewart Towes]

So what if I dont want all that.Even if like you say dig further down so as not to skimp.The length and depth of the trench is;26 ft long x10 ins deep x 14 ins wide.I dont think that I would use all that do you?Or would I,dont know about volumes.Is there something else that I could use?The project that I am considering is a raised bed built out of Marshalls Windsor stone walling,which are designed to be free standing and mortar free up to 6 courses high.Hence the largish sub base.
As I say,its Marshalls materials and the MOT Type 1 is their recommendation.If I have to use it I will,I just begrudge buying something knowing that it wont all get used.Any ideas Ted?

[lutonlagerlout]

TBH stewart i would buy a tonne of ballast and 4 bags of cement and lay a concrete base in the trench
much better than type 1 for building walling
proper job like IYKWIM
and yes i worked it out to approximately a tonne
regards LLL



Edited By lutonlagerlout on 1184192742

[Rich H]

I'm with LLL suggesting concrete. I work it out to 0.68m2 = 1.5tonnes required. A bulk bag of ballast as LLL says is 850kg + 125kg for five bags cement (better to have a little too much than not enough!) = 975kg. Suggest you reduce the width and/or depth of the trench (depending on your wall height).

Either that or buy 2 bulk bags ballast = 1.7tonne and you'll have a few barrows over. Given the price of Marshalls' walling products the £15 of ballast left over doesn't seem like a huge price to pay to me.

[Stewart Towes]

Thanks very much,LLL and Rich H for the replies.Some food for thought there.Ive still got to ask:what does MOT Type 1 look like?You know,colour,consistency.

[Suggers]

Down sarf Type 1 - just laid - pinky colour?



Type 1 - after a month - turns grey -



Consistency is like shale/scree with fines. Hope this helps.

[Stewart Towes]

Cheers for that Suggers.I dont know whether you have read my previous posts,but the reason I wanted to know what it looked like was because of a project that I am thinking of doing.In the 2007 Marshalls brochure,it recommends using it to lay a sub-base.The blocks to be laid are:250x190x180x100 deep.To be honest,going by the pics,it does seem rather course.Would it still be ok to use in trench that should be:380mm wide x 250mm deep, compacted down?

[Stewart Towes]

Oh,forgot to add,it also says to lay a thin bed of yellow sand to help with levelling.

[Suggers]

I'm with the other guys - for your project would use a conventional concrete footing. Posted photies to give an idea of what type1 actually is....cheers.

[Stewart Towes]

Thanks for that.I think the way that Marshalls designed the blocks and also the walling that it is used in,it is supposed to,IMO do away with the need for conventional concrete footings.For the inexperienced as it where.

[lutonlagerlout]

you pays your money, you takes your chances
us lot have been at it for a combined 200 years
concrete footings for walls all the way!
sure as eggs is eggs i have NEVER used MOT for a footing
regards LLL :;):