Can i use 10mm pea shingle as a sub base

[Tyler Durden]

In another area of my path, I am digging out 100mm of earth to allow for a sub base and bedding.

I have an excess of 10mm pea shingle and wondered whether this could be used for sub base.

Thanks

*edit* I have done a bit more reading from the How To's on this great site, and have realised that I probably don't need a sub base, but I could use some of the pea shingle I have in the bedding layer.

[DNgroundworks]

well you couldnt use pea shingle as a subbase anyay, and without a subbase i assume your going to mix the shingle into a leanmix concrete and use around 100mm as a bedding layer for whatever it is your laying?

[Amogen]

Now i aint saying that it is an approved method, but i re-modelled my mums back garden a few years ago. She had loads of issues with surface water draining into the cellar, and it was suspected to be from the path and garden.

Anyway, she had a load of random shaped york stone flags, all faced nicely on one side, but thickness varied from 1 to 5 inches (on the same flag sometimes!). Anyway it was decided to lay these flags on pea gravel. So proper edgings were constructed, then loads of pea gravel barrowed in, whackered, and the flags were then laid on top. It was dead easy getting the levels correct as you just wiggled the slab into place!!

Well its now a few years on, the flags are all still sound and level, the cellar is dry (and has been since it was completed) and it gets daily use as it is the main path from the house to the driveway.

The jointing between the flags, as they are all random, was left as pea gravel. Thats what she wanted. Anyway, it looks good, and seems to pass the test of time.

I will try and find some pics and post them up for you.

[Amogen]

Photos

[GB_Groundworks]

10mm pea gravel should not be used as a subbase, uniform shape and no fines means appropriate compaction and consolidation can not occur

[lutonlagerlout]

come on giles
if there are edge restraints in place then effectively what andy has created is permeable paving :;):
so beloved of our dear planners

i like your mums patio andy,but i really like your shot of Niagara falls,was it interesting?
cheers LLL

[seanandruby]

Basically all your doing is laying an unbound sub base. Interlocking material, like gravel can take enormous loads. Once gravel is contained it can't migrate anywhere so i would think it is acceptable on a patio but not a driveway. An hotel i worked on at heathrow T5 is built on red clay, terran and then covered in 300 ml of gravel over a massive area. Permeable paving is laid on 6ml gravel over a no fines one size sub base with a composite membrane below this ( optional ) :;):

[GB_Groundworks]

Yeah but all the permeable aggregates are angular allowing interlock 6mm etc, 10mm gravel due to the action of water is spherical.

Yeah it might work, but I thought this was paving expert haha not tommy Walsh lol. What next whole bricks as subbase cough henpecked haha

[Amogen]

i like your mums patio andy,but i really like your shot of Niagara falls,was it interesting?
cheers LLL

Thank you. It looks better now it is all planted up and has weathered for a few years.

Niagara was awesome!! It was well worth the trip!! For more than one reason.. :p but thats another story!!!!

[lutonlagerlout]

not all 10mm gravel is spherical giles
some of the hardest concrete ever is made from 10mm crushed stone
10mm pea shingle is round
as sean says if its got no where to go, and it solves the damp problem,then surely thats a good job?
in fact there isnt a lot of difference between what andy described and the spec for permeable paving
anyway off to luton hoo for a 40th laters fellas
LLL

[GB_Groundworks]

my grandad was shop steward at an engineering company in manchester, worked in the nuclear reactor manufacturing department, his drive is laid in the stone they used to make the concrete to surround the reactors with, cant think off the top of my head what its called but its bright white and really hard and dense, he got it all free haha....

btw are you still making soap from human fat, running illegal boxing clubs and blowing up buildings and hows the split personality working out haha. love that film,



Edited By GB_Groundworks on 1281789456

[lutonlagerlout]

sometimes in life you have to compromise giles
and i stand corrected
you are right
LLL