I'm laying a 20m2 patio next to the house. I've got 100mm of Type 1 down (compacted 3 times – once for each bag of type 1). I am now on my last layer of sub base and I want to make sure it is as level and solid as can be.
At present there are possibly + / - 10mm dips and peaks in the compacted sub base.
Do I keep going at it with the compactor or do I need to spot fill? Is there any special technique to the wacker that will get the best result? I notice if I pull it backwards it drags back some of the high spots... Sorry if this has been covered, but I cannot find a decent 'wacker plate techniques' tutorial anywhere on the web.
Any wacker / levelling tips? - Getting sub base right
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Tony McC
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Three times?Do you mean three passes over each point on the sub-base?
To achieve thorough "compaction to refusal" it will take many more passes - see Table here: https://www.pavingexpert.com/subbase#typical-subbase-designs
±10mm is not bad for a sub-base, but if you want to be even more accurate, use a straightedge to identify low spots that require filling and high spots that require scraping-off, but your time is better spent passing over and over that sub-base, from every direction, to get it as thoroughly compacted as is possible with the kit you have.
And dragging a plate backwards, against the direction of normal travel, achieves buggerall other than to distrurb the surface of the aggregate. Just keep going fortward, but from different directions.
To achieve thorough "compaction to refusal" it will take many more passes - see Table here: https://www.pavingexpert.com/subbase#typical-subbase-designs
±10mm is not bad for a sub-base, but if you want to be even more accurate, use a straightedge to identify low spots that require filling and high spots that require scraping-off, but your time is better spent passing over and over that sub-base, from every direction, to get it as thoroughly compacted as is possible with the kit you have.
And dragging a plate backwards, against the direction of normal travel, achieves buggerall other than to distrurb the surface of the aggregate. Just keep going fortward, but from different directions.
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Hum3
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Thanks for the reply Tony.
Sorry for being unclear, I have indeed made multiple passes in each direction each time I added a bag of Type 1.
From what you say, I am nearly there – just a bit of filling in the dips (without raising the overall height!) and another half-hour annoying the neighbours with the compactor, and I'll be ready for the muck.
Good to know that I'm not missing any technique with the compactor – just keep going!
Thanks again
Sorry for being unclear, I have indeed made multiple passes in each direction each time I added a bag of Type 1.
From what you say, I am nearly there – just a bit of filling in the dips (without raising the overall height!) and another half-hour annoying the neighbours with the compactor, and I'll be ready for the muck.
Good to know that I'm not missing any technique with the compactor – just keep going!
Thanks again