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Driveways & Paving

Compacting MOT over the time

Anonymous user 03/03/2024 - 3.42 PM

Hello I’m doing a patio myself. I can’t afford the current prices and I’ve been given a Wacker so I’m doing it. I have already dug a 100 mm topsoil.. and now comes the mot part.. I have a few questions.. 1- shall I compact the soil after removing the topsoil and before spreading the MOT ? Is it there any benefit or harm? 2- this is not my normal work and I have to do this when I have the time.. can I put 50mm of mot then compact it and leave it for a week until the next weekend to put another 50mm and compact it and so on ? 3- will mot be ruined if I leave it compacted and rain falls over it? 4- how can I know that mot is properly compacted ? My plan is to pass several times longitudinal and then transversal.. but how do I know if compaction is correct 5 - can I over compact the MOT ?

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5 Answers

JJE BUILDERS

Rating: 4.9 out of 5

Reading

Hi. If the soil is fluffy and soft then go over once. Lay a membrane on the soil then put down the 100mm of mot type 1 and compact. Go over a few times. Then hose down till its soaked threw. Then compact again till you have the surface very hard and the compactor it bouncing a little . Then yoyr know you have a good compaction. When it drys it will bond and harden. You can leqve it for as long as you want before yoy start the slab installation. 1) any more than 100mm needs to be compacted over 2 levels ans the lower level will not compact. 2 watering the mot will help the bonding and hatden it. 3 the membrane will keep it from burying into the soil and give the sub base a much longer life span... Jje builders.

Answered23 May 2022

Ashes & Oak Landscaping

Rating: 5 out of 5

Devizes

Hi there. To try and answer your question best I’ll number my answers to your questions. 1) there is no harm, nor really any benefits as soil will compact after you whack down your hardcore. 2/3)No harm in taking your time with compacting / putting down hardcore as it will not be ruined by weather. 4) Once you use your whacker plate it will be very self explanatory to see if it’s compacted enough as you’ll see a considerable difference. I’d usually run over the area 3/4 times to be sure going up & down then across etc. 5) no you can’t. Don’t worry about over compacting 👍🏽 Hope that reassures

Answered23 May 2022

Langford landscaping

Rating: 5 out of 5

Plymouth

Good morning Yes you probably Want to put a weed membrane Down first You can compact the soil then Compact the hardcore in layers

Answered23 May 2022

Martin

Rating: 5 out of 5

Alford, Aberdeenshire

make sure you have dug up all of the top soil. no problem at all if compact subbase in one 50mm or even 100mm layers. if the first layer is compact properly then the next one you can compact any time

Answered23 May 2022

Handy digger driver

Rating: 5 out of 5

Birkenhead

Lay 100mm of not and whacker plate in 1 go

Answered23 May 2022