who knows asphalt/black top ?

[rfuerst911sc]

I have a detached carport that I store my RV project under. It is aprox. 14 ' wide x 20 ' deep. I layed down pressure treated 4 x 6 around the perimeter and the metal framework of the carport sits on top of this. So I basically have a 3.5 " tall framework around three sides. This is all on hard packed Georgia clay. Been in place for a year now so everything is settled/solid so now I'd like to have a black top company come in and put down a base. Other than getting rid of grass/weeds is there any other prep I need to do ? Is 3.5 " of blacktop good enough or do I have to dig down some and put a gravel base ? We don't get harsh winters so not concerned about frost heave. I'm thinking blacktop will be cheaper than concrete is that correct ? Any ideas how much this should cost ? This is an open storage space meaning it just has a roof no sides/front/back it is just for protecting the RV from rain/sun/minimal snow.

[nota]

asphalt/black top requires a machine to lay it HOT
AND BE ROLLED BY AN OTHER MACHINE
and is oil based
both machines may have a problem with your wood border

I suspect concrete is cheaper
as no machines or operators needed
other then the delivery truck
and a 2x4 to level the top
but steel rebar is needed and extra cost over the concrete

no idea if clay is decent for subgrade
as we do not have clay in S Fl
but it needs to be dry and very compacted

we use 6'' of crushed rock over sand
well rolled and compacted

[rfuerst911sc]

Yeah after doing some internet searches it looks like concrete is the way to go I'll get some estimates. Thanks

[KFC911]

Have you considered big ol' pavers as a DIY project? Don't know if it's practical...just tossing the idea out there for you to consider...

[rwest]

Been a few years since I did my driveway, but asphalt was about $3 a square foot and concrete was around $10. They put down a base of class 5 gravel and compacted it well before laying the asphalt- I'm on clay as well, but get freezing temps in the winter.

Concrete might prove to be better for you because of the weight of the RV and things like jacks and jack stands will "burrow" into the asphalt very easily under weight and warm weather.

[MBAtarga]

Concrete - should run you about $3 sq/ft installed. At least that's what I paid for my workshop apron drive.

[john70t]

Not sure what the expansion properties of GA clay are, but in SE Mich it doubles if you spit on it.

Do it right the first time.

Also, blacktop gets soft when hot.
I had some tree work done and the mid-sized truck left a few divots to fill in.

[dad911]

Concrete should have 3-4" of clean stone under it, pavement 2-3" of crushed stone, compacted.

Pavement will definitely dimple if you park a motor home on it long term.

Cheapest would be to grade the area so it will drain, put down heavy plastic, and stone, with concrete pads under the wheels.

[rusnak]

Your area should be graded so that you won't have flooding in the compacted base area. Pavement strength comes from soil compaction and a base rock layer that is thick enough to support the RV. I would think a 12" layer would prevent the pavement from cracking. If all you do is pave over the dirt, then you'll be pulling it out later.

[Seahawk]

Originally Posted by dad911

Concrete should have 3-4" of clean stone under it, pavement 2-3" of crushed stone, compacted.

Pavement will definitely dimple if you park a motor home on it long term.

Cheapest would be to grade the area so it will drain, put down heavy plastic, and stone, with concrete pads under the wheels.

That is exactly what I would do, have done.

Between my barns I store three trailers, all happy on stone.

[Hugh R]

Why not just crushed stone?

[rfuerst911sc]

Got a quote today of 105.00 a yard and it will take 3 yards. That's 3,000 lb. with glass reinforcement and it will be about 6 " thick. The contractor said it would easily hold up to my 2500 lb. truck camper. This is probably the way I will go. To be extra safe I'll put in some rebar every 2 ' in both directions should last my lifetime and then some.

[Bill Douglas]

Good game plan. I've heard too many stories of asphalt not working well.

[willtel]

I'm about to buy a house with a long asphalt driveway. I think the driveway is about 7 years old. How often do they need to be sealed in the Atlanta area?

[TimT]

asphalt/black top requires a machine to lay it HOT

For an area the size of a carport....no mechanized spreaders would be used... even the smallest shoulder machine would be barely able to spread hot-mix in the few feet it could travel...

A small space like a carport would be all handwork... a bunch of guy shoveling a pile of hot mix dumped in entrance, then shoveled and raked to grade, and finally screeded with an 8-10' strait edge (maybe)...

Finally it would be compacted with plate tamper, and small walk behind double drum rollers...

Asphalt is the wrong choice for this application.... as mentioned previously.... jack stands impressing on the asphalt.... etc..

Got a quote today of 105.00 a yard and it will take 3 yards. That's 3,000 lb. with glass reinforcement and it will be about 6 " thick. The contractor said it would easily hold up to my 2500 lb. truck camper. This is probably the way I will go. To be extra safe I'll put in some rebar every 2 ' in both directions should last my lifetime and then some.

Concrete is the better choice...Big time contractors pay about $110 cy/yd here in greater NY for "State approved mix", so $105 in situ seems reasonable...

Also since this is a fiber reinforced mix, I think you would be better served by using some WWM (welded wire mesh) instead of

some rebar every 2 ' in both directions

just putting rebar in a slab randomly might make you feel good.... but it might really just be a wasted effort and expense....

Finally, try and impress on the guy running the placement... that the concrete should not be"blessed" with a guy flinging water on the surface that makes it easier to finish.... That extra water they apply will be a problem down the road...

And Finally, finally.... keep the slab wet for at least 7 days from when it was placed......just needs to be wet, not a deluge of water.... wet.. opaque plastic on top and a soaker hose just barely on.. sort of wet..

[TimT]

I apologize for not noting or seeing the dimensions in the first post.....

14'x20'x0.5'=140 cf (cf= cubic feet)

140 cf /27 cf/cy ( cf/cy = cubic feet per cubic yard)

5.1 cubic yards..

Note that concrete is batched by weight.... i.e. a mix design is made based on the weight of the ingredients not the volume....

Buyers get poked in the rear every single day....

[Porsche-O-Phile]

+1 on concrete. More durable and you can do a lot of it yourself or get a decent contractor. Paving contractors pretty much universally suck and there are endless horror stories of people getting ripped off, jobs half-done, improper thicknesses / asphalt compositions used, you name it. They're notorious for being shady and generally the bottom of the barrel in the construction trades world.

I've done a few parts of my drive in concrete already. I dig it down two feet, put in 12" of gravel and 6" of sand (do that myself), set the W.W.F. myself, build the edge forms myself and then just call the truck out. Rent a vibrator for $20 for the day and and let them pour 10'x20'x6" (4 yards) covers it. Vibrate, screed, add control joints and broom finish. Wham-bam. Yea it's a little work but I've done five 10'x20' sections already and have about eight more to go whenever I get to it to complete the thing. Not that bad and not that expensive and I could park semi trucks on it and the thing would last another 75 years. Best of all I haven't been ripped off by some scumbag crook paving contractor

[rfuerst911sc]

Let me clarify the pad size will be 11 ' 8 " x 19 ' 8 " and will be 5-6 inches thick. There is a 100.00 fee charged if the load is under 5 yards, as it turns out I also need a sidewalk which will be 4 ' wide I can't remember the length but it should get me close to the 5 yard minimum. Thanks for all the advice.

[304065]

See this thread from a few years back

Concrete Gurus: best Vapor Retarder

[id10t]

Consider laying appropriate conduit under the concrete so you can run electric, water, phone, network, etc at some point down the road.