The Brew Cabin

Hi tony hope u are well, we have been asked to do a commercial job, so far we have only done private driveways etc... which are fairly straight forward issues however we have now been asked to block pave in front of 10 shop fronts the dimensions are 250ft x 70ft and will be trafficked by trucks as well as cars now i figure on using 10 inches of mot and a 80mm block is this too much or to little, as well as that do u have any tips for us when working on a public highway as this is new territory for us (if we get the job that is we have quoted and have been told we are well in the running) ps.. how much would u say is the going rate for that size job??? if we get the job i will send u some piccys of the job before we start.

If this really is a public highway, you need lots of insurance, possibly 5 million, and you'll need clearance from the Local Authority, who will probably ask for Streetworks Accreditation. You will also have to make allowances for mandatory Safety measures, site fencing, signage, identification of services etc.

I'm not trying to put you off, but working on a public highway is much more onerous than working on a private driveway, just in terms of the legislation - the work itself, ie, actually laying the blocks, is more or less the same, but the paperwork....it can make a grown man weep!

It's not possible to give an off-the-shelf spec for a public highway job. The LA will have a spec, but I should imagine it will involve 250-300mm of granular sub-base or a 150mm CBM3 base layer, and then an 80mm block.

Are you sure this is a public highway? If it's actually a private shop frontage, then the spec could be down to you and the Elf&Safety requirements are less onerous, but you need to check this first.

thx for the prompt relpy tony and yes u are right i have checked and they are private frontages that the shops want to basically convert into parking (as there are lots of double yellows and only room for 8 cars to park at the moment) for there customers they reckon they can get over fifty cars parked in there once its paved however there will be some delevery trucks using it to drop off to the shops, so thats what i know so far oh and one quicky, Cement Bound Material 3??.

CBM3 is explained on the Sub-bases page.

Have you been given a design/spec or is this a design and build contract? Is there an existing crossing of the footpath? Is it a full and proper contract (eg ICE or JCT Minor Works) or is it a 'quote and go' job?

If they've put the job out to tender, they really should have a design so that all contractors are pricing the same work. If they are looking for a Design and Build project, then you will need to ensure any design you submit/construct is technically suitable and that you're fully insured with Contractors All Risk, otherwise....well, it can get a bit scarey if you're not familiar with commercial contracting and all the potential pitfalls.

I'm not trying to put you off, but I would strongly recommend you speak to a QS, a Highways Engineer or someone in the know who is familiar with the site. If you Design and Build, will you be liable for any defects? Will there be a defects period and a retention? Questions such as this ultimately affect the price of the job.

Give me a call if you're stuck - best between 12 noon and 4pm, or after 7pm, as that's when I'm at my best with the painkillers.

thx tony for the sound advice i will keep u posted on this one :)