New driveway advice

[TinSte]

We have a 4.5 tonne motorhome & need to renew the front garden where it stands. At the moment it is sitting on concrete gravel boards (which have been broken by the weight of the vehicle but are being held together by the reinforcing bars in them) due to the ground below getting boggy when we have a lot of rain. (Moho had to be dragged off the drive by a recovery truck on Christmas day 2019) The gravel boards are sitting on 20mm gravel, which is sitting on top of compacted soil (it was like this when we moved in.)

My questions are:

1. How deep will we need to dig out to put in the sub-base?
2. What type of sub-base do we need to use? I've read MOT 1 & MOT 3 on different websites.
3. If we opt for concrete, how thick does it need to be?
4. What's the going rate for concrete? We're in Lincolnshire & will need to pay someone to lay it.
5. Is it a lot more expensive to have coloured concrete?

We would be having a concrete area just larger than the motorhome so drainage wont be a problem as we will probably be grassing the rest of the area.

Thanks for reading.

 

[TinSte]

If we don't use concrete the second choice would be grids with gravel but I'm not a fan of gravel.

 

[Bolti]

we installed grids with grass beginning to look just like the lawn, only downside is need to reverse van back to mow.

 

[Jamesh]

We have a 4.5 tonne motorhome & need to renew the front garden where it stands. At the moment it is sitting on concrete gravel boards (which have been broken by the weight of the vehicle but are being held together by the reinforcing bars in them) due to the ground below getting boggy when we have a lot of rain. (Moho had to be dragged off the drive by a recovery truck on Christmas day 2019) The gravel boards are sitting on 20mm gravel, which is sitting on top of compacted soil (it was like this when we moved in.)

My questions are:

1. How deep will we need to dig out to put in the sub-base?
2. What type of sub-base do we need to use? I've read MOT 1 & MOT 3 on different websites.
3. If we opt for concrete, how thick does it need to be?
4. What's the going rate for concrete? We're in Lincolnshire & will need to pay someone to lay it.
5. Is it a lot more expensive to have coloured concrete?

We would be having a concrete area just larger than the motorhome so drainage wont be a problem as we will probably be grassing the rest of the area.

Thanks for reading.

I'd ring a concrete supply firm and ask for quotes per m3. Then ask what depth you need to park a HGV wagon on it.

Chances are you will need some soil removed and often they can do that. They can also tamp down and edge too.


I'd put some reinforcing mesh in it as well.
Cheers James

 

[HarryML7]

IMHO. Concrete will need to be 100mm, sub base a minimum of 150mm after compaction. Depending on the ground you may have to go down 300-500mm to get to sound ground. Rather than a rectanglar concrete pad you may only need two wheel tracks - that would keep costs down. Do it once - do it right.

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[MichaelT]

When we moved to our new Bungalow last year the builders put in a second drive and pad for the 4.5T MH. Below is what they did, they advised not to use concrete (I think because you need some drainage plan if you do)

To excavate for additional hard stand after protecting existing paved area with polythene and plywood boards,

Excavate av depth 250mm , supply lay and compact crushed concrete sub base on terram , blind with type 1 and over lay with 20mm stone , edged with 100mm timber .

Size from end of block paving 10m x 3.5m , returning up to front of bungalow 4.7m x 4m , beside bungalow 10m x 4 m

 

[pappajohn]

We're built on a clay soil and gets boggy.
Our hardstanding is 10" of 3" to 4" limestone hardcore and 4" of concrete with re-enforcing steel mesh.
The plan was for support for at least 7500kg
If yours is really soft and boggy I would be going 10" hardcore to start.
No idea of the cost today as ours was laid down 15 years ago.

 

[Silver-Fox]

I'd ring a concrete supply firm and ask for quotes per m3. Then ask what depth you need to park a HGV wagon on it.

Chances are you will need some soil removed and often they can do that. They can also tamp down and edge too.


I'd put some reinforcing mesh in it as well.
Cheers James

Concrete mixed on site will be around £180 for the first cube then each cube after that it reduces.

You can do a base at a minimum of 100mm deep and I would throw some mesh steel in it as well.

150mm should be more than thick enough.

Even using grids I would prepare the area with 100mm of consolidated type 1 as I would using concrete.

Ground works done properly isn’t cheap.

 

[John.]

we installed grids with grass beginning to look just like the lawn, only downside is need to reverse van back to mow.

Any chance of a photo ? As we’re thinking of printed concrete but the grids might be an alternative solution.

 

[gus-lopez]

We would be having a concrete area just larger than the motorhome so drainage wont be a problem as we will probably be grassing the rest of the area.

I'd check with the council what there rules are before you start as many now have restrictions on concrete areas due to lack of rain water run off. some areas allow only 2m2. not even sufficient for a shed base.

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[Tombola]

we installed grids with grass beginning to look just like the lawn, only downside is need to reverse van back to mow.

A good little robot mower does mine.

 

[BouncyBoatFolk]

There may be an issue with the council if you concrete a slab, in respect of drainage, and building control. Two strips of concrete 150 deep, x 600 wide would probably be a different matter, with some {soft] landscaping around the strips of captive gravel in plastic interlocked sections filled with a decorative chipping, grey bath stone.
Or, remove 100mm all the way through, and 150, where the wheel tracks will be. Again lay stone chippings across the whole area. No drainage issues with this method.

 

[Rosemary1]

There may be an issue with the council if you concrete a slab, in respect of drainage, and building control. Two strips of concrete 150 deep, x 600 wide would probably be a different matter, with some {soft] landscaping around the strips of captive gravel in plastic interlocked sections filled with a decorative chipping, grey bath stone.
Or, remove 100mm all the way through, and 150, where the wheel tracks will be. Again lay stone chippings across the whole area. No drainage issues with this method.View attachment 542265View attachment 542266

That looks great even as part of the garden rather than just a drive!

 

[TinSte]

Rather than a rectanglar concrete pad you may only need two wheel tracks - that would keep costs down. Do it once - do it right.

At the moment we bring the motorhome in at a 45 degree angle to the road & leave it like that so strips would be ok but I want to be able to bring it in & turn it 45 degrees so it sits parallel to the bungalow to give us more room out front & to be able to see the road from the lounge window so that's the reason I am thinking of a concrete pad. The actual driveway entrance is already concrete as laid by the previous owner but that needs to be kept clear to get the cars in & out. They sit on the concrete drive down the side of the house but it isn't wide enough for the motorhome, unfortunately.

 

[dunnah01]

People always seem to over spec groundworks when they're not paying. If it was my money I'd just wacker in 3-4" of hardcore (a bit more for really soft areas) and then pour a 2" polymer fibre enhanced concrete slab over it with construction joints every 2m and a tamped finish.

For a generous 10m x 4m hardstanding you'd be looking at:
2m3 of concrete
8t of hardcore
10t of spoil away

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[TinSte]

I'd check with the council what there rules are before you start as many now have restrictions on concrete areas due to lack of rain water run off. some areas allow only 2m2. not even sufficient for a shed base.

My neighbour, who has just moved in, is in the process of clearing an area to get it concreted to accommodate a 4x4. I doubt he has contacted the council as he hasn't been moved in long enough for how long councils take to make decisions (our council anyway). I will try to catch him to ask.

 

[wiljoy]

If we don't use concrete the second choice would be grids with gravel but I'm not a fan of gravel.

Same as above. Grids are great and after ripping up the useless block paving I am happy with gravel and grids.

 

[Bolti]

Any chance of a photo ? As we’re thinking of printed concrete but the grids might be an alternative solution.

We removed turf, dug down, hired a compactor (surprisingly cheap). Compacted soil. 4 inches of MOT compacted, inserted grids and filled with soil, grass seed, job done.
Advertised excess soil on Freecycle.
60 year old couple, 1 wackerplate 1 wheelbarrow 2 shovels.

 

[Stoosal]

I would clear top soil over the size you want and then put in a concrete edge (wood simply rots away over time!). Compacted hardcore (DTp1) to depth of 150mm and then a crushed gravel. 4 slabs to sit tyres on if you want. Be careful with ‘fancy’ decorative gravels. ‘Washed’ gravels tend to be rounded and move as the tyres try to turn whereas a crushed gravel has angular edges which lock together to give a slightly firmer surface. Don’t have top layer too deep as it simply moves. 30-40mm should be enough and compact it down and top up if required.

If you want concrete, you can use wood as a shutter to pour concrete then remove or use a concrete edge to give a more ‘finished’ look. Sub base of 100mm with a damp proof membrane then150-200mm concrete with steel reinforcement. Slight slope away from house for water run off. Dependant on size you may need an expansion joint to stop cracking as a summer heat expands concrete base.

 

[gus-lopez]

My neighbour, who has just moved in, is in the process of clearing an area to get it concreted to accommodate a 4x4. I doubt he has contacted the council as he hasn't been moved in long enough for how long councils take to make decisions (our council anyway). I will try to catch him to ask.

here you go. Gov.uk Environment Agency rules ..
over 5m2 impermeable requires planning permission anywhere.
https://assets.publishing.service.g...achment_data/file/7728/pavingfrontgardens.pdf

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[John.]

We removed turf, dug down, hired a compactor (surprisingly cheap). Compacted soil. 4 inches of MOT compacted, inserted grids and filled with soil, grass seed, job done.
Advertised excess soil on Freecycle.
60 year old couple, 1 wackerplate 1 wheelbarrow 2 shovels.View attachment 542279

Excellent reply! Thankyou.
Looks good and would certainly be a great alternative

 

[the1andonly]

Does an existing impermeable area needs to be replaced by a permeable system if a repair is required. 30yr old tarmarc, an area didnt like 3.5T. It slopes in 2 directions with a drop of 5 in 20 ft. Bit steep for concrete?

 

[BouncyBoatFolk]

Does an existing impermeable area needs to be replaced by a permeable system if a repair is required. 30yr old tarmarc, an area didnt like 3.5T. It slopes in 2 directions with a drop of 5 in 20 ft. Bit steep for concrete?

You can concrete, but you have to build it up in layers. Concrete is still classed as "monolithic " [ a single block] if any joint is poured within 24 hours of the previous one. So build it up in layers of 25mm, that way it won't run away down the slope. The worst thing for a long lasting concrete pad is when people add to much water at the pouring stage, yes it makes it easier to handle, but at a cost to it's longevity. Some mesh will give a slab that should last a life time, or longer, like the Roman concrete dome on top of the Pantheon, 2nd century AD.
Mike

 

[TheDogMan]

My van is a 7 tonner, I had the whole of the front done, they used a digger and then filled it with hardcore, they knew it was heavy and laid it to ensure it did not sink that was about 5 years ago

 

[Jonny1953]

Problem with coloured concrete is maintenance every year with a coat to seal it. It can also be very slippery when wet or icy

I had my drive done with resin bound gravel, this is also permeable and looks really good as you can get a good choice of colours

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[Rodders1234]

We had our drive tarmaced last year with pavier pads on top of concrete oads. Not sure on the depth but works well for our 3.85 ton MH. Tarmac is more of a road heavy duty tarmac and so far so good and the concrete pads are topped in the same blocks as the path and tarmac surround. It was the contractors idea to use block pads so might be worth asking your contractor for his opinion?

 

[Geistguy]

Has any one mentioned reinforced concrete which is used where heavy duty surfaces are needed ? I believe it's mixed with fibres ti give extra strength.
Heavy duty rubble as a base will also give extra strength.

I would over engineer the area as much as your budget will allow.

 

[minesapint]

If we don't use concrete the second choice would be grids with gravel but I'm not a fan of gravel.

We had the same problem with a soggy parking area in the garden, so we put 4 very heavy duty slabs on to concrete pads, edged the area with concrete gravel boards and filled around the slabs to the gravel boards with slate chippings which drain very well and stop the water puddling under the van as it drains straight through the chippings.

 

[Norman Jones]

Ours is 4.2 and sits on 20mm gravel no problem. If yours is really soggy, dig out two strips for the wheels, 6 ins deep, fill with hardcore, go over it with a whacker then freshen with 20mm gravel on the top.

 

[Clive Beeza]

Any chance of a photo ? As we’re thinking of printed concrete but the grids might be an alternative solution.

Hi John,
Printed concrete is a really suitable alternative,
no weeds like with paviour bricks, no sinking over time
a choice of print patterns, flagstones - herring bone brickwork - cobbles etc
plus of course a choice of colours as well,
our drive was laid 20 years ago, and our van is 7.5 ton
and never had any problems, been recoloured twice in 20 years
" as has been said " do it right do it once.