Open-Graded vs Dense-Graded Base on Pinellas Paver Jobs

Most Pinellas residential driveways run a dense-graded crushed-concrete base: mixed particle sizes that lock when compacted at the right moisture. That section sheds water across the surface to a basin or the street. It is the right default on a lot with a working storm system and no infiltration credit.

An open-graded base uses a narrow stone size with voids. Water drops through the joints, through an open-graded bedding layer, and into a reservoir. That is the PICP section. It belongs on commercial stalls chasing stormwater credits, on lots that cannot add a basin, and on some pool decks that must not sheet toward a slider.

Do not mix the two mid-field

If you place dense-graded stone under half a driveway and open-graded under the other half, the joint line becomes a spring. Pick one section, wrap the reservoir with geotextile so Pinellas fines do not migrate, and keep the edge restraint pinned into the same material that is carrying the load.

PaverForge Hardscapes designs both sections. Call 727-490-9798 if you are choosing a base for a Pinellas driveway or commercial pad.