Optimum Moisture When Compacting a Pinellas Crushed-Concrete Base

Crushed concrete is the common paver base on Pinellas sand because it locks better than limerock fines when it is densified correctly. Densified correctly does not mean running a plate until the operator is tired. It means each lift is near optimum moisture so particles slide into voids instead of bridging or pumping.

A bone-dry lift looks convenient after a two-day west-coast breeze. The plate walks on top and the lift stays loose an inch down. A flooded lift after an afternoon storm turns into soup on sugar sand and will not take a proof-roll. Either condition shows up later as a dish in the tire path.

Field checks we use

• Hand-squeeze a handful of base. It should hold a weak ball and break without slinging water.

• Add water with a hose on a fan nozzle and work it in before the plate, not after.

• Compact in lifts the plate can actually reach, usually about four inches loose.

• Proof-roll before bedding sand. If the tire prints a rut, stop and correct that lift.

PaverForge Hardscapes will wait out a gully-washer rather than bury a wet lift under bedding sand. That delay is cheaper than a callback to re-level a driveway after the first heavy week of summer rain. If a quote promises a one-day base-and-set on a soaked lot, ask how they plan to hit density.

Questions about base moisture on your lot: 727-490-9798.