The Brew Cabin

Posted: **Tue Jan 12, 2010 11:00 pm**

Hi all,
I feel a bit sheepish posting on this wonderful site - I last posted in 2006 after receiving great advice and achieving what I thought was a good result. Anyway logging back on I see I missed a message from Suggers that I didn't know I had. I wasn't being rude by not logging on again - I just didn't think you'd want pictures from everyone you've ever helped.

Well now I have some problems - I'd like to show you some before and after shots but I need daylight which I won't see at home until the weekend.
1). The drive:
In winter 2008/9 I felt a block move under my foot during snow. The person who put did our work has agreed there's some subsidence and he will put it right. He also said he's never seen it on his work before. Unfortunately nothing has happened yet but I do believe he is willing to do so.
Now after the recent snow I have experienced blocks moving again and have significant ripple effects in the drive (it rises).
Could this be due to a problem in the sub-base? I didn't see it go down but the existing concrete path and drive was broken up to form the base. Does everything have to be done again?
Is it safe to drive on?

2) Damp blocks - in Spring / early summer 2009 an area of the path, up to 2.5ft diameter (and smaller patches nearby), became damp even though the weather was dry. We found no evidence of a water main or drains leak. (The person who did the paving works came and checked with rods etc). This then stopped and would appear to have been rising groundwater which went away again. Could this be a problem? Or cause the problems on the drive? (The drive is at a slightly lower level than this location)

3) I have some water pooling in a different paved area (about 2 ft diameter) when it rains heavily but it drains away a few hours after. I was told this isn't a problem and am not too worried - should I be?

4) On the path by my rear lawn the edge units have moved slightly away from the path, and there is a gap between the edge units themselves and the lawn (it slopes away slightly). Does this mean an inadequate concrete bed and haunch was used? Is the remedy to lift and relay the path completely or can a less involved repair be made?

I trust the person who did all the original works and believe he will put things right but do not want to be too nit picky. Please advise your thoughts - I will try to get photographs at the weekend to give you a better idea.

Thank you,
Pete

Posted: **Wed Jan 13, 2010 8:26 am**

1 - winter 08/09? That's 12 months ago. Are you really sure he intends carrying out remedial work?

The problem sounds like a bit of subsidence which may have been exacerbated by frost heave. Only excavation and examination will reveal the true cause.

2 - We'd need to be familiar with the site to say what the cause might be

3 - Ponding *is* a problem. You called back the contractor and pointed it out, therefore it is a problem. There should be NO standing water on a paved surface. Ponding leads to saturation of the laying copurse, which then leads to more settlement and more ponding....it never fixes itself.

4 - If the edge course has moved, then it could not be described as 'robust' as required by BS 7533/3.

That's a lot of problems on a single project. I'm not sure I trust this guy as much as you seem to do!

Posted: **Wed Jan 13, 2010 7:15 pm**

This recent bad weather will sort the men who dig out to a decent depth and install a decent compacted sub-base etc from the boys who do the job with a couple of [say] skips and 100mm "blinding" of DTP1......

Edited By Dave_L on 1263413239

Posted: **Wed Jan 13, 2010 7:38 pm**

always better to go a bit deeper, just quoted for a 320 metre farm track, quote was excavate 400mm or to suitable strata geotextile terram 1000 or equivilant, fill with 200-300mm recycled type1 consolidate then top off with 200 mm type 1 from quarry, virgin so to speak. only for a track but you are always better with a bit more, than having to come back and mess around.

Posted: **Wed Jan 13, 2010 7:46 pm**

Dave_L wrote:This recent bad weather will sort the men who dig out to a decent depth and install a decent compacted sub-base etc from the boys who do the job with a couple of skips and 150mm or so of DTP1......

so dave
what is the problem with skips?
and 150mm of type 1 under a domestic drive?
LLL ???

Posted: **Wed Jan 13, 2010 8:06 pm**

When a skip is full, it's full and another one for that little 'extra' may be just a little too far to stretch........bit of a generalisation, I know!

Posted: **Wed Jan 13, 2010 8:27 pm**

Thanks to all for your comments - I'll get photos at the weekend.
Yes I am trusting of the person who did the work because he is a friend. Hopefully I won't have a problem.
I will also contact him and see what he says - he is away at the moment.

Pete

Posted: **Wed Jan 13, 2010 9:43 pm**

Dave_L wrote:When a skip is full, it's full and another one for that little 'extra' may be just a little too far to stretch........bit of a generalisation, I know!

when a lorry is full, its full dave
i dont see your point
skips are a lot tidier on domestic works than having spoil all over the gaff,for a double extension we average 20-25 skips
you price it as such
sometimes grabs work sometimes they dont, I'd be more concerned with people not using skips TBH
LLL

Posted: **Wed Jan 13, 2010 10:11 pm**

lutonlagerlout wrote:
Dave_L wrote:When a skip is full, it's full and another one for that little 'extra' may be just a little too far to stretch........bit of a generalisation, I know!

when a lorry is full, its full dave
i dont see your point
skips are a lot tidier on domestic works than having spoil all over the gaff,for a double extension we average 20-25 skips
you price it as such
sometimes grabs work sometimes they dont, I'd be more concerned with people not using skips TBH
LLL

in ireland we had a twenty yard skip parked up and used to be emptyed by grab wagon worked well and was cheaper no messing moveing skips kept job tidy and easy to load :p :;): :;): ps told skip man needed skip for month no probs

Posted: **Thu Jan 14, 2010 12:00 am**

i've filled 8 yard skips on jobs for builders with 3cx etc and compacted the fill with the bucket skip wagon had its front wheels in the air haha skip driver not pleased haha

Posted: **Thu Jan 14, 2010 12:07 am**

I do that on every job GB

Posted: **Thu Jan 14, 2010 10:10 am**

I use a one man band skip company. just him and 6 yard skips only
last time i compacted it, it rained heavy on top, and he turned up to collect.
The lorry jacks kept sinking in and the skip wouldn't budge.
He shouts"did you pat it down:? you might have to unpat it!!"

the lorry picked it up eventually, and drove up the road with a lot of smoke.
we still use the word "unpat" to this day. it was very amusing!

Posted: **Thu Jan 14, 2010 8:50 pm**

cookiewales wrote:
lutonlagerlout wrote:
Dave_L wrote:When a skip is full, it's full and another one for that little 'extra' may be just a little too far to stretch........bit of a generalisation, I know!

when a lorry is full, its full dave
i dont see your point
skips are a lot tidier on domestic works than having spoil all over the gaff,for a double extension we average 20-25 skips
you price it as such
sometimes grabs work sometimes they dont, I'd be more concerned with people not using skips TBH
LLL

in ireland we had a twenty yard skip parked up and used to be emptyed by grab wagon worked well and was cheaper no messing moveing skips kept job tidy and easy to load :p :;): :;): ps told skip man needed skip for month no probs

In the process of trying to do my patio I had a 8yd skip on the drive for 6 months, when they dropped it off the terms were a 14 day hire, fortunately they were flexible.

Posted: **Sun Jan 17, 2010 8:18 pm**

Glad I've given you all an opportunity to discuss skip usage...LOL
But back to my block paving queries........hope the photo links work ok and it's not too slow. If it is I'll try to insert them directly....

1). The drive:
The 'ripples' in the drive have gone - I'm told this could be frost heave. I still have some subsidence now. Unfortunately I don't think the photos show it very well.
Does the remedy mean going back as far as renewing the sub base?
<img src=]" target="_blank">http://s756.photobucket.com/albums....MG]http[/url]
<img src=]" target="_blank">http://s756.photobucket.com/albums....MG]http[/url]
]http://i756.photobucket.com/albums....RL][/url]

2) Damp blocks - in Spring / early summer 2009 an area of the path, up to 2.5ft diameter (and smaller patches nearby), became damp even though the weather was dry. We found no evidence of a water main or drains leak. This stopped and appears to have been rising groundwater which went away. Could this be a problem? Or cause the problems on the drive? (The drive is at a slightly lower level than this location). Please see links:
<img src=]" target="_blank">http://s756.photobucket.com/albums....MG]http[/url]
<img src=]" target="_blank">http://s756.photobucket.com/albums....MG]http[/url]
<img src=]" target="_blank">http://s756.photobucket.com/albums....MG]http[/url]

3) I have some water pooling in a different paved area (about 2 ft diameter)
<img src=]" target="_blank">http://s756.photobucket.com/albums....MG]http[/url]
Also, where the damp was has some pooling in very wet weather
<img src=]" target="_blank">http://s756.photobucket.com/albums....MG]http[/url]
Given the terrain I am thinking the solution is Aco drive system but to be honest I'd rather it wasn't at the fron of the house - any other ideas?

4) On the path by my rear lawn the edge units have moved slightly away from the path, and there is a gap between the edge units themselves and the lawn (it slopes away slightly). Does this mean an inadequate concrete bed and haunch was used? Is the remedy to lift and relay the path completely or can a less involved repair be made?
<img src=]" target="_blank">http://s756.photobucket.com/albums....MG]http[/url]
<img src=]" target="_blank">http://s756.photobucket.com/albums....MG]http[/url]

Once again, thanks for any advice

Pete

Posted: **Sun Jan 17, 2010 8:36 pm**

Apologies - all the links seeem to go to the same directory where you can see all the photos - please let me know if I need to do this again.....

Anyway hopefully you can see the photos are labelled as:

Sunkdrive1.....sunkdrive5
pathpuddle1.....pathpuddle2
pathrisingdamp1......pathrisingdamp3
rearpath1......rearpath2

The Brew Cabin

Driveway and paths revisited - Problems after 3.5years