Breakages during consolidation !!

[handywork]

We're just consolidating our driveway (using Marshalls Driveline 50) and on consolidation a number of blocks (approx 1 or 2 per square metre) have cracked during the consolidation phase.

Is this normal/acceptable for 50mm Marshalls blocks and what do you normally do about replacing them.

Also, I have used a whacker with out the neoprene sole fitted which has also resulted in what appears to be "weathering" of the blocks, even after making sure the kiln sand was cleared off the blocks prior to whacking.

Before I continue condsolidation, I was just wondering whether using the neoprene sole would help with both the cracking/breakages and the "weathering" effect of the blocks...

[Tony McC]

Yes and yes - using a neoprene sole does reduce the incidence of breakages , but more importantly, it prevents unnecessary damage to the blocks themselves.

Personally, I don't worry about breakages as they must have been weak blocks to start off, so having the vib plate "identify" them is no bad thing, but the damage done to the good blocks is more worrying.

Just for the record, I always suffered more breakages per square metre with Driveline than with the 60mm blocks, which was a large part of the reason why we tried not to use them unless we really had no choice. The annoying thing was that I could get Marshalls' 60mm Ramsbottom blocks for a few pence per m² <i>less</i> than the price for Marshalls' 50mm Drivelines!

[handywork]

Hi Tony,

Many thanks for your quick reply to this one and gives me a bit of releif that it wasn't just me being a bad layer...

WIth regard to the breakages already down, I presume that you would just dig them up and replace with fresh blocks ?

Regarding the surface scratching/weathering via the whacker, I think what I'll do is do the rest of the drive using a rubber soled whacker, and if the face of the area I've just done still looks naff, I'll get it up and relay the area with fresh blocks. Its around 9 sq meteres that I've already done, and in the scheme of the drive (95 sq metres) I think it may be worth it. I's my first driveway - inspired by your site I might add, so the savings I've made doing it myself could easily swallow the 100 quid for some replacement blocks.

[Tony McC]

Yep - just prise out the broken blocks and drop fresh ones in their place.

There's a guide to prising out blocks on the Repair and maintenance page.