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Posted: Wed Jul 14, 2010 8:04 pm
by padster
Advice needed - accepted quote for relaying tarmac drive which involved scraping existing surface on day 1 and then laying and rolling 20mm bitumen macadam base course and then 25mm wearing course on day 2. Thought OK as I could check on day 1 that existing surface had been removed. However - contractor has finished all the work on day 1. How can I be assured that existing surface was removed and that I'm not just paying for some more tarmac to be laid on top? Any advice?

Posted: Wed Jul 14, 2010 8:24 pm
by lutonlagerlout
use a 50mm corer on an out of the way spot to see what he has laid
then plug with black cement
LLL

Posted: Wed Jul 14, 2010 8:25 pm
by mickg
other than boring a hole using a core drill bit or breaking a bit of the tarmac at the edge away so you can see the different layers you have no way of knowing

Posted: Wed Jul 14, 2010 8:26 pm
by mickg
haha beat me too it Luton :)

Posted: Wed Jul 14, 2010 8:27 pm
by bobbi o
You cant unless you put a core drill thro it and measure the thickness.

spec sounds a bit dodgy. 20mm base course relates to the size of the aggregate in the mix,hence it is not possible to lay it 20mm thick. the base course should be thicker than the wearing course,hence a spec of 50mm thick base course and 20 or 30mm thick wearing course would be more suitable

Posted: Wed Jul 14, 2010 8:32 pm
by padster
Sorry my mistype - should have read 50mm thickness of 20mm base course and 25mm thickness of 6mm wearing course.
Would one day normally be sufficient for completing this work which is approx 100sqm?

Posted: Wed Jul 14, 2010 8:38 pm
by DNgroundworks
hmm in a word no, not realy, was it machine laid?

Posted: Wed Jul 14, 2010 8:40 pm
by padster
that's my problem. I presume it was hand laid but I don't know. I was at work! How long would you expect such work to take?

Posted: Wed Jul 14, 2010 8:42 pm
by GB_Groundworks
thats some muck to shift, and to do it cleanly with no signs of debris around etc, your looking at a few wagons or skips to shift 100sqm of bitmac etc,

you thinking they just threw some 6mm over the top of the old surface.

Posted: Wed Jul 14, 2010 8:44 pm
by Mikey_C
have you not got a datum point such as a pavement height, height down from the DPC, fence height drainage point?

Posted: Wed Jul 14, 2010 8:45 pm
by padster
yes that's my concern. I may be concerned for no reason but I did not expect the work to be done in a day.

Posted: Wed Jul 14, 2010 8:46 pm
by padster
to MikeyC - no -tarmac was for bottom of driveway and is not near the house.

Posted: Wed Jul 14, 2010 8:48 pm
by DNgroundworks
is it all rounded off at the edges? how about a photo :p

Posted: Wed Jul 14, 2010 8:49 pm
by DNgroundworks
is it all rounded off at the edges? how about a photo :p

Posted: Wed Jul 14, 2010 8:55 pm
by padster
Getting a bit dark for a photo today as area is under tree cover. Have not checked the edges but I think that one butts up to the dry stone wall and the other flattens off towards the neighbours banking.