Overlay bitmac??? - Can asphalt be used as a base?

All forms of block paving, brick paving, flexible or rigid, concrete or clays, new construction or renovation
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moot de noo
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Location: west yorks

Post: # 8526Post moot de noo

I would welcome anyone's thoughts on whether I could use an existing asphalt drive as a base layer for pavers? It is essentially sound with the correct falls and levels but needs a facelift. I have ample (min>300mm) to dampcourse.

Tony McC
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Post: # 8539Post Tony McC

Yes ....but.

You need to provide some way of draining the bedding layer: typical asphalt/bitmac surfaces are insufficiently permeable to allow the bedding material to be freely drained. This can lead to the material becoming saturated and fluidised, which, in turn, allows it to be squeezed and pumped and before you know it, the block paving is channelised or loose or all over the place.

There's a few suggested strategies on the Paving over a Base page.
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moot de noo
Posts: 11
Joined: Fri Jun 03, 2005 7:38 pm
Location: west yorks

Post: # 8540Post moot de noo

Hi Tony,

That's one of the reason's I asked - the bit about paving over a base covers concrete but indicates that asphalt should be removed to subbase level.

My thought is that provided your bedding sand is sufficiently sharp the water can get out sideways?

Just a thought really - my real problem is that this is my drive and there's already 50mm of 6mm dense on it and I've 120 sq metres (about 15 tonne by my reckoning)

Any body know any cheap skip hire co's???? :;):

Tony McC
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Joined: Mon Jul 05, 2004 7:27 pm
Location: Warrington, People's Republic of South Lancashire
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Post: # 8546Post Tony McC

Water could get out "sideways" if there'sno bound material at the sides. However, with properly constructed block paving, there should be some bound material at the edges - either concrete bedded edge courses, a wall, or something 'fixed'.

I think I might need to clarify the info given on that page - for residential driveways, it's often easier to rip up the bitmac and expose the sub-base, but it's not always necessary. Further, many low-speed, block paved residential cul-de-sacs are actually constructed over a bitmac base.

Could you not just cut core holes into the bitmac at, say, 1800mm centres, cover the lot with Terram or TDP115, and then pave over that as per normal?
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moot de noo
Posts: 11
Joined: Fri Jun 03, 2005 7:38 pm
Location: west yorks

Post: # 8588Post moot de noo

:D
Flippin 'eck - you're full of good ideas!

mmmmmm......now where was it I saw that roll of Teram????

Cheers Tony!

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