The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Smallholding => Techniques and skills => Topic started by: symber on September 28, 2019, 10:52:23 am
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Hello,
When I had the groundworks done to build my house, the contractors formed a temporary ramp out of earth leading from the hardcore level the house is on down to the rest of my land, so they could drive their 20t excavator up and down it to dig the drains/septic tank pits etc.
I've since tried driving my IH454 up it and I just sank in, as it's too soft to use without dirty great wide tracks. I'd really like to somehow harden the ramp up so I can drive up/down it, but I'm not sure how.
The ramp's only made of soil, moved there by the original excavator, so I can't scrape it back to a harder layer and put hardcore down or something, as there isn't a harder layer. I've had it suggested to me that I put down a stabilising layer under hardcore, made up of tyres and "rammed earth", but I'm not sure if this is an idea that actually works or just one that "probably" works (plus, it doesn't seem very environmentally sympathetic to me).
Any thoughts on what the best plan of action could be would be very helpful to read,
Thanks for you help,
:)
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[member=25317]symber[/member] I don’t really do much groundworks so the following thoughts are musings:
I’m trying to imagine how the tyre/rammed earth/hardcore thing works; in other words, how does one fill all of the tyres’ inner spaces (particularly on an incline) to make sure they don’t just squidge-down under traffic ? (But maybe that doesn’t matter as long as they spread the weight and your tractor tyres have traction !?)
If someone suggests the tyre option is worth pursuing, I can’t see why you should be concerned environmentally: they’re being re-used & I personally don’t see that as different to using building/demolition waste to pack out your soft earthworks/ramp. Virgin quarried aggregate would be a greater envir’ issue (if it is not a bi-product of some other essential mineral extraction operation).
You might need to apply for a waste exemption (from Envir’ Agency) for use of “waste” to bolster your trackway.
Last thought: enough chunky building waste/aggregate will eventually bed down/interlock with repeated trafficking to form a fairly stable base, but it is best to avoid mixes with fines, e.g. 803 mix, until everthing seems pretty much stable and one is simply looking to apply a smoother top layer.
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Hi arobwk,
thanks for your thoughts - I take your point about aggregate not being that good for the planet, too...there's just no winning really :) I hadn't thought about waste exemption and that sort of thing...something else to look into!
Thanks,
:)
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You might have to lay a Terram type strong water draining fabric on the proposed road before you cover it in rubble ( I had to ) .
I blinded the first 300 mm of rubble with reclaimed sand & 10 mm crushed limestone once I'd sledged all the large lumps to bits . This helped lock the bits in place , I then added another 300 mm of slightly smaller graded rubble & got a vibrating plate to work it flat & hard
Again adding plenty of reclaimed sand & 10 mm crushed limestone on the top & vibrating it down giving it a decent hose spraying before doing the last vibrating stint .
It set the top smooth & hard like mortar .
I saw it again nearly 18 years later .. it was still there in good order having had numerous artics up & down the slope in that time . .