materials for concrete driveway

[addz307]

hi there

 

I am planning to do my own driveway it is quite large about 10.5m x 8m, im going to mix the concrete myself with some help from family, iv been told i need a mix of 1 cement to 5 part ballast but from ive read online would a paving mix of 1 cement to 3.5 parts ballast be better, i plan to do 50mm type 1 and then 150mm concrete. just checking before i buy the materials whats best.

 

cheers adam 

[Oz07]

Buy the gear ready mixed. Be cheaper!

[Construction Channel]

I agree with Oz, its cheaper in the long run to get it ready mixed, 

 

also a slab that size will probably want either reinforcment mesh (A147 or similar) or an expansion joint, or both, 

 

IIRC 6m is the magic number for expansion joints, so if it were me i would put one half way along the 10m length 

 

If you do still want to mix it by hand i would say 5:1 should be fine.

[addz307]

ok thanks for your replies i know i need the mesh forgot to mention that and i would go with ready mixed but i cant get a truck in where i am. just checking how do you calculate the cement to ballast i got told 1 ton of ballast and x by 5 to get the cement thanks again

[Russell griffiths]

I think you should do some sums and then re think ready mix.  

Unless you are 20 years old and all your helpers, at least 4 others are as fit as the proverbial butchers dog you are going to struggle mixing that. 

 

If  you say you can't get a truck to it how are you getting your ballest to it? At some stage you are going to need to put something in a barrow, so if you have to put something in a barrow why not readymix. 

Doing some rough sums in my head you probably need 20plus tonnes of material. 

 

I know now how I would do it. 

1 man on a mini dumper and 3 laying. 

Ready mix truck. 

All done in 1 day. 

[Crofter]

That would be a real shame if you can't get a readymix or volumetric lorry on site- it's quicker, easier, cheaper, and the concrete may well end up higher quality. Or at least more consistent.

I know that when I did my founds, I couldn't beat the price of the volumetric lorry by site batching.

 

But to answer your actual question... 5:1 ought to be OK. A lot depends on the quality of the aggregate. Ideally you want nice sharp angular crushed material, from say 20mm down to fines. Poor quality ballast will instead have some fairly rounded pebbles in amongst sand, and not much in between. That will need a stronger mix to compensate.

 

If you can't get a truck on site, how are you planning on getting the aggregate delivered?

[Declan52]

Not all concrete lorries are 6/8 wheelers some are small for access to difficult jobs.

There is no way you could mix concrete quick enough and consistent enough to lay it with out it looking like a patch work quilt.

 

[addz307]

thanks again all might re think the ready mix metherd and see if i can et a truck in, i was going to do it in bays of about 2m wide but i get where your coming from. i hercan get some form of pump on the truck which basicly has a 45m hose on it is this true if so i might b able to do that. cheers again

[Onoff]

I'd put dowelled expansion joints in between bays of concrete:

 

http://www.pavingexpert.com/concjnt1.htm