[Hoosier]

If you're compacting every 2-3", Can you have too much base?

[Stonehenge]

No such thing.

[Pelican]

Kind of along the same lines as having "Too much fun".

[Hoosier]

Good.
Any benefits to using more?

[dan deutekom]

The only problem with too much base and too much fun is that you usually spend too much money doing it.

[4seasons]

I've found it wont heave as much.

[VoodooChile]

What are you compacting with? 4 times 2-3" lifts with a hand tamper might not be as good as 2 times 2-3" with a plate compactor or a rammer (depending on the machines compaction force).


And if you are installing base on highly elastic soils (like wet clay) more base might not be enough base to prevent settling. I could show you a 3' section of Unilock Old Quarry wall at my place to prove that, except I'm too embarassed.

[Stonehenge]

Originally Posted by VoodooChile

I could show you a 3' section of Unilock Old Quarry wall at my place to prove that, except I'm too embarassed.

Hey, don't sweat that. Happens to everyone at least once. We did a small driveway where the soils were pumping, so we kept digging. And digging. And digging. When the depth of the excavation passed 24" and was still pumping, I gave up. We laid layers of geogrid between crushed stone as we filled and compacted, but in the end, years later, they still ended up with a wavy driveway.

[Hoosier]

Originally Posted by VoodooChile

What are you compacting with? 4 times 2-3" lifts with a hand tamper might not be as good as 2 times 2-3" with a plate compactor or a rammer (depending on the machines compaction force).


And if you are installing base on highly elastic soils (like wet clay) more base might not be enough base to prevent settling. I could show you a 3' section of Unilock Old Quarry wall at my place to prove that, except I'm too embarassed.

I'm pretty sure we're getting good compaction in the base. Running the plate compactors over them every couple inches.