Laying block paving on shingle

[hurdy gurdy]

I have been told by the person that came to quote for laying block paving, that he will lay the blocks on a shingle base instead of sand. Is this possible? The shingle would be laid onto a sub base suitable for parking.

Thanks in advance
Paul

[Rich H]

Absolutely not. No one in their right mind would even think of such a thing. Throw his quote in the bin.

[seanandruby]

:laugh: :laugh:

[hurdy gurdy]

Thanks Rich H
This was my feeling as well. Just wanted to clarify it.

Cheers
Paul

[lutonlagerlout]

wait a sec guys?
are you sure hes not talking about permeable paving?
AFAIK permeable paving is laid on shingle,but the blocks have 10 mm spacers rather tha 2mm
if its regular paving he is talking rubbish
LLL

[seanandruby]

........Then would'nt they be on no fines concrete?

[Rich H]

.........and the sub-base would be different

[hurdy gurdy]

lutonlagerlout
Thanks for your reply.
No this is standard block paving (Brindle) not permeable. (although he mentions about drainage through the gaps between the blocks). The sub base is to be type 1 mot. I will speak to him to explain what he means by shingle. i had asked him if he means sharp sand and he said no.

regards
Paul

[seanandruby]

......it will be no fines grit he will be using

[lutonlagerlout]

i seem to remeber a thread a while back where people were using recycled crushed glass as a bedding layer
but i think the gaffer said stick to the tried and trusted method I.E. grit sand,flooring sand whatever you call it
LLL

[seanandruby]

on the permeable pathing index he recommends 2-6ml grit with the blocks spaced well apart then filled with same. Shingle just did'nt seem ideal.

[Rich H]

lutonlagerlout
Thanks for your reply.
No this is standard block paving (Brindle) not permeable. (although he mentions about drainage through the gaps between the blocks). The sub base is to be type 1 mot. I will speak to him to explain what he means by shingle. i had asked him if he means sharp sand and he said no.

regards
Paul

'Drainage through the blocks' is setting off little alarms in my head! Water will very gradually seep through the joints but this is no method of drainage. The paving should be designed such that all rainfall is carried OFF the paving.

I have done many drainage retrofits to pikey block paving where the 'contractor' told the client that the water would 'drain through the blocks'.

[hurdy gurdy]

Still havn't spoken to the chap yet. I will let you know as soon as.

[Tony McC]

Shingle is NOT suitable as a laying course for either conventional or permeable paving, The twonk wanting to lay this way should go back to driving his taxi and leave the paving to those with genuine skills.

Time and time again I come across prix who have some revolutionary laying method. "Oh, we use such-and-such...."

Why? We've 30 years of experience using flexible block paving in this country as of this year. Over those three decades, we've gradually refined the laying advice in the light of experience and extensive research: the 2005 update saw the recommended laying course depth reduced from 35-50mm to 25-40mm because it had been shown that a slightly thinner laying course resulted in less settlement. This is research prompted by experience on site and then validated by extensive professional and accredited testing at dedicated research facilities. The result of all this is that we have, in Britain, probably the best laying advice of any nation.

So why do these semi-literate brain donors think they have a system that is better than that which has been developed over 30 years? Pillocks!

I encountered such a crew about 18 months ago. Their infallible laying method eliminated the laying course: they told the homeowner that they'd found this was a better method and that all the top paving companies in the south of England were now laying in this way, and it was only just catching-on in the north - wasn't he lucky he'd employed a gang as professional as themselves?

The truth was they'd forgot to order any bloody sand!

[lutonlagerlout]

the last drive we did was 80 M and we used 4 tonnes of grit sand
this gave a depth of about 30mm,years ago when we started doing them the advice was to use road formers and scaffold poles as screed bars,we would have used 8 tonnes of sand,even though the blocks were 90 mm this was way too much sand,although the thickness of the blocks helped
laying 50mm blocks on 50 mm of sand just doesnt seem right at all
cheers LLL