Wheelchair accessible path

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Wheelchair accessible path
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happytechie

Joined: 24 Jan 2006
Posts: 408
Location: Surrey (at the mo.)

Posted: Thu Mar 22, 18 6:01 am Post subject: Wheelchair accessible path

Hi all, looking for suggestions for a surface choice for the permanent paths in our new garden. Needs to be cheepish as we have several hundred metres to lay. Needs to have a smooth surface for wheels to roll easily on.

Thinking of hard packed gravel or the resin bonded gravel atthemoment. I'm intrigued by the porous paviers that you fill with grass or gravel here https://www.sure-green.com/products/porous-pavers-grass-gravel.php

Thanks in advance

Paul

Fee

Joined: 21 Mar 2005
Posts: 15922
Location: Earth

Posted: Thu Mar 22, 18 6:41 am Post subject: Re: Wheelchair accessible path

happytechie wrote:

Thinking of hard packed gravel or the resin bonded gravel atthemoment. I'm intrigued by the porous paviers that you fill with grass or gravel here https://www.sure-green.com/products/porous-pavers-grass-gravel.php

That looks like a good option, seems like an awful lot of plastic, though I suppose it will last for a lot of years, wonder if there's a similar more environmentally friendly option?

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 16090

Posted: Thu Mar 22, 18 7:18 am Post subject:
Don't think gravel on its own will do the job, even if packed down. The pavers or something similar are an option. There are also metal meshes available I think that can be incorporated into the grass to give a strong surface. The grass would need to be kept cut short.

wellington womble

Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands

Posted: Thu Mar 22, 18 10:38 am Post subject:

https://player.vimeo.com/video/38794520

I’m going to have something like this. It’s what all the national trust places use, and I like how it looks. I’ve got to put in a driveway, so I’ll have to have have all the kit and wotnot on site anyway. Breedon is about 9 miles from here, just south of East Midlands Airport, so it’s local to me, and not all that far from you guys. My main concern is that it isn’t really pressure washable (which is my new secret weapon in keeping the garden tidy. Ish)

Fee

Joined: 21 Mar 2005
Posts: 15922
Location: Earth

Posted: Thu Mar 22, 18 2:07 pm Post subject:
i'm not sure what the video is but the link isn't working over here! There's something very pleasing about a pressure washer. It's up there with my laminator and there's not a lot else up there with it.

Fee

Joined: 21 Mar 2005
Posts: 15922
Location: Earth

Posted: Thu Mar 22, 18 2:10 pm Post subject:

This stuff I pressume? https://www.breedon-special-aggregates.co.uk/

It's what HT was looking at last week, I think, certainly similar.

We've got a lot of it to lay, at least 300m x 1m, so needs to be cheapish! I eventually want to have path on the whole place so Willow has access to everything. Shorter term she can access to the gardeny bit of the field, but the path has to be one of the first things for us.

happytechie

Joined: 24 Jan 2006
Posts: 408
Location: Surrey (at the mo.)

Posted: Thu Mar 22, 18 5:43 pm Post subject:
Hoggin in the generic name, it's a small gravel to dust mixed with clay and should be rollable to a hard surface. Think paths on nt property and you won't be far off. I think it's the best option for us.

wellington womble

Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands

Posted: Thu Mar 22, 18 5:57 pm Post subject:

That’s the stuff. It does seem to work well for National Trust type places, and they have miles of it, so I think it’s relatively cheap. It’s beyond me, but it might be cheaper to do the whole whack in one go. You’d need to hire a digger to excavate the path bed (about 250mm deep, I think) and then spread a load of type one with a road roller to compact, then the hoggin, which you compact and wet roll. I expect the boys would enjoy it! I’m not sure how you make a camber on it, though. I gather it’s important to stop water pooling on it.

wellington womble

Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands

Posted: Thu Mar 22, 18 5:59 pm Post subject:
I forgot, I’ve got those porus paver thingies in the back garden. They seem ok, although I don’t really do anything but walk on them. You’re welcome to come and try them out.

happytechie

Joined: 24 Jan 2006
Posts: 408
Location: Surrey (at the mo.)

Posted: Thu Mar 22, 18 8:03 pm Post subject:

wellington womble wrote:

A slight slope across the path will work as well as a camber I think. I have my eyes on a mini tractor with a back hoe but don't tell Fee!

Fee

Joined: 21 Mar 2005
Posts: 15922
Location: Earth

Posted: Thu Mar 22, 18 8:48 pm Post subject:
No.

happytechie

Joined: 24 Jan 2006
Posts: 408
Location: Surrey (at the mo.)

Posted: Thu Mar 22, 18 9:33 pm Post subject:
The plastic link paviers are 100% recycled plastic so they are not to bad. I think the clay stuff for most paths and the paviers in the bird of the grass that get high traffic. We will need either a digger or an army of downsizers!

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46344
Location: yes

Posted: Thu Mar 22, 18 9:52 pm Post subject:

grasscrete tends to be a bigger scale than an access path.
it might be a bit of a bumpy ride unless there are small hole formers for such paths.
unless anyone on foot is wearing sensible shoes they are at risk of trips falls and broken heels until the stuff is so compacted little will grow.

any packed aggregate mix needs to be packed very well, ie good contractor and the heaviest vibrating roller machine that will fit on the path and not sink getting to it is good.

re cheap materials that are suitable for a smoothish, dryish, long lasting path i would start by checking any local quarries and aggregate recycling firms to see what is currently available. 20mm to dust will pack quite well in a variety of materials.

gravel is horrid for many reasons not least that it is not ideal for wheels in several ways and it will travel by mysterious means to places you don't want it and either gouge a floor in the cleat of a boot sole or surprise one during a barefoot nocturnal bathroom visit

as you need 300m should i assume that you have surveyed the route for any issues such as moving water, really soft bits, unstable slopes etc etc?
if any such issues exist find the suitable means to overcome them.

at a rough guess most large wagon loads ( some folk will sell by the load rather than by wt or vol ) of aggregate are around 20 cu m if it is properly full (and road legal)
the maths is fairly simple to work out how many you will need to fill a given shape if you know by how much that material will compress when rolled
or if you buy by wt you will need to know the wt/vol number and do the same calc.

clean rubble (brick and concrete) can be cheap and a very useful base layer if you have the time ,skills and equipment to make it into a "roadbed" ready to top out with a finer (more expensive) surface
minced road scalpings can be pretty good over a good rubble base

unless you have a lot of slave labour a decent set of machines will be very useful .
mini(ish) digger with a choice of tools for prep and spreading. front loader for site transport and a vibrating roller as beasty as you can get over the path and afford.

civils is fun if it is planned and executed well, tis a nightmare if it isnt.

i would start by doing intel on what materials are available locally and work out a plan based around that.
then see what the plant situation is to do the tasks required.

happytechie

Joined: 24 Jan 2006
Posts: 408
Location: Surrey (at the mo.)

Posted: Fri Mar 23, 18 12:10 am Post subject:

The land is a bit on the wet side in places so the exact layout will wait till we've got our head around the space.

We have an orchard, meadow, allotment and garden/relaxation/entertainment sections to fit in.

I suspect we'll use some builders rubble to raise some bits above the wet where people can pitch tents and use ditches to control water in some of the others. I intend to get the woodlands trust in to advise on planting some more woodland, I need some hedges as well as fruit trees.

There will be more questions.

Dpack, I saw your thread about a new orchard panting project and may we'll ask for advice.

Nice o be back here! It's been a while.

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46344
Location: yes

Posted: Fri Mar 23, 18 12:29 am Post subject:
nice to have folk back. builders rubble is not necessarily the same as clean hardcore from what you just said i recon walking the potential path lines and surveying a step at a time might be a good start. when you know what you need to cross it is easier to decide what can be done to cross it or take a different route.

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