Exposed aggregate driveway - Methods and learning

[cyanspeaker]

Having read the excellent description from Tony regarding his EA path I am going to have a go at the technique myself over the next month, leading up to doing the driveway.

I'm going to do as suggested and practise the technique with smaller test blocks to see how it works in practise with various aggregates. So I hope I can come back and ask questions as they arise..

I have ordered a 25litre container of of Rugasol C from my favourite merchants (keyline in norwich). However they don't sell small decorative aggregates in regular quantities, so for purpose of my first trial I have bought a 20kg bag from B&Q.

1. If I can find a nearby aggregate supplier and if I buy large quantity( I assume overall I will need around a ton ) can I specify it is washed? Washing that much by hand will require quite a production line in itself... :p

2. The page suggests tamping down the aggregate by hand. However another american website suggests using a roller. Tony would you mind going into a bit more detail about your 2000 metre run and how you seeded and tamped down the aggregate.

3. Is there a problem using angular aggregate or would rounded be preferable? The driveway itself is sloping so any grip would be benefitial, but I don't want something that is like a bed of nails! Any experience on aggregate selection would be appreciated!

Think thats all for now.... Martyn

[seanandruby]

"Having read the excellent description from Tony regarding his EA path I am going to have a go at the technique myself over the next month, leading up to doing the driveway". ... If you had read it properly you would see your questions have been covered in detail. i would think a roller is OK. but you need to know when to put that much weight on the concrete ( that comes with experience.) Tony covers jobs that are in range of a DIYer, so tamping it is I'm afraid. he also recommends "angular gravel." also the site wouldn't recommend you use anything sharp that would ruin your tyres, plus take the skin off your bones. hope this helps. :;):

[Tony McC]

Washing a tonne of gravel? That'd take about 10 minutes, I reckon, but you can purchase washed aggs if you ask nicely.

You could also use a roller to compact the agg into the fresh concrete, but it would need to be a relatively lightweight roller otherwise it'd just sink into the plastic concrete. A "roller-bug" as used by the PIC gangs would be ideal, or a 25 litre empty plastic drum with 5 litres or so of water in it.

Use angular gravel. Rounded is a bloody nightmare!