How to Save Time & Money by using a little known Civil Engineering technique in the garden!

Making your own garden soil strong enough to use as a foundation saves removing material and buying sub-base in the form of hardcore or MOT Type 1. You can replicate a little know Civil Engineering technique at home to save you effort and money.
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Thank you to Wirtgen Group for video clips of the WR series of soil stabilisers in action.

[@carlbillingham2670]

As a civil engineer in Australia we often use cement stabilisation for roads in the outback due to the distances (and cost) of transporting top quality road base material. As a rough guide we use only 2.5-3% cement. Anymore than that and you will start to get cracking appearing at roughly 10-12m centres, so if you are doing a large area eg a long driveway just make sure you don’t add too much cement. Also if you have heavy clay, lime stabilisation may be a better option, with the benefit it can be reworked.

[@toolsaddiction]

What does lime stabilisation looks like i have heavy clay but -30degree winter +30 degree summer

[@lamarcdesign]

​@@toolsaddictionthere different earth types. Heavy clay(which refers to little to no sand in it) can form a watertight barrier. In eco friendly building this is used to get dry basements without the typical outside coatings.. so I guess he refers to removing the mushy top layer and I guess mixing it with 30-50% pure clay which if compacted will result in a nearly watertight surface. The only thing clay needs is to avoid moving water on it as this will wash it away. But since there is a road surface on top of it this is a secure construction type. Still would be curious to know how much clay is roughly needed

[@cannack]

@@toolsaddiction I've got a driveway made of steel slag, basically straight CaO quicklime in 1/2`` size with some impurities. The finer particles solidify really well and the big stuff on top seats in nicely, easy to straighten up with the rake, -30c winters. I imagine with clay it would be really good, trouble we have is the snow blower throws it all over the lawn, and weeds grow REALLY well in it.

[@toolsaddiction]

I may do a quick test before winter planing a patio aera and i need to avoid digging

[@turningpoint4238]

@@toolsaddiction Not sure about -30 but have done it in the lower bit of the Snowy Mountains NE Vic Au, probably worst is -15 upper been lower 40's (have seen it snow there in December). Holding up after a couple of years quite well, just needs doing all the way to the Princess Highway now.

[@mdharrisuiuc]

I've done this, being mixing a bag of cement into soil and dousing it with water, on projects around the house but never said anything to anybody because I thought I was just being super lazy and cheap. Turns out I was just doing some good economic civil engineering!

[@dougiewalls]

😂

[@CEO786]

Lol

[@robertcringely7348]

In the USA it's called soil cement. When I was a kid we used it to make a very narrow runway in our back pasture so we could keep flying in rainy weather. It's still there, still in use, 57 years later.

[@DH-uk9px]

While I've no doubts that it works as a technique, and I'm equally certain that there are appropriate uses for it, I couldn't help but be reminded of a quote from Paul Harvey while watching you mix concrete into lovely black earth: “Man - despite his artistic pretensions, his sophistication, and his many accomplishments - owes his existence to a six-inch layer of topsoil and the fact that it rains.”

[@classicalguitar715]

I washed a film about rammed earth buildings many years ago and this technique is basically the same process. I used this idea to build a garden step and also a patio. I did use a fence post to compact the cement earth mix and laid the paving onto wet mortar. Everything has remained exactly level for the past 20 years...a great technique and a very good video👍

[@stav2002]

Did you use a layer of sand between the base and mortar?

[@classicalguitar715]

@@stav2002 I didn't, I just mixed some cement powder with some water so I could brush some onto the underside of the paving slabs as I laid them.

[@oleksandrzaslon5367]

What is not really clear for me is how rain water will sip through such stabilised soil? It looks like water management should also be done for big sites

[@kmr_tl4509]

What film?

[@hoperules8874]

@@oleksandrzaslon5367yes, slope and drainage always have to be accounted for--just remember--water flows downhill. Too much slop and you could wash out your neighbors in a heavy storm. Washouts with damage-that you caused-are your responsibility.

[@markrobinson1458]

The technique i used about 40 years ago for a base for some light use steps up to a shed, i even laid bricks on it to create the stringers, i was given the idea from a old guy who did groundwork for a local council, only used it a couple of times since, the old fella told me he was taught properly during his apprenticeship and if he laid paving flags, he'd guarantee they'd be level and solid for 80 years, his work was 2nd to none.,👍

[@michaelfink2070]

This works well, I've used it to deal with parking on clay soil and stopping the mess clay becomes after a hard rain. This is often called "dirtcrete".

[@unlearnbusiness]

We have so many dirt roads here in Kenya. I'll try this. If you have a video of how to do it, I would love to watch it.

[@RedHotFiat]

When they built the White River Amphitheater in Auburn, WA, they did soil cement in the front parking lot. About 10 acres. After construction was complete, they paved over it with asphalt.

[@John..18]

Thank you so much for showing me this,, I've been getting very stressed about having to lay a base for my Intended shed,, now I can relax knowing it's do-able, by a 68 year old on his own,, 🤣, (Billy no mates).. Thanks again,, 👍👍

[@mjc1000000]

Stabilised rammed earth. I used this extensively in South Africa about 20 years ago. Achieved 20 MPa strength with 15% cement content.

[@cliffcarlo180]

My good friend and neighbour used this method in his garden to create a large patio area. He used a rotavator to mix the cement and soil and then used a hand tamper to compact it. The patio is still in great condition after nearly 5 years. This method was much more cost-effective than the alternatives. Thank you for sharing this brilliant idea, Stuart. It will save people a lot of money.

[@greenaum]

As I understand it, cement doesn't cure by drying out, but by absorbing CO2 from the air, changing soluble hydroxide into solid carbonate. So concrete can set underwater, the stuff they put in "underwater" concrete is just to resist it washing away, rather than anything to do with the process of curing. So the wetness of the soil might not matter so much, but I'll defer to someone who does this all the time.

[@YipeeKiYayJB]

I did this with a shed I built a couple of years ago. My native soil is quite sandy to begin with so it's probably fairly close to ballast anyway. It's held up perfectly well, although I did put 60mm concrete on top of about 150mm of cement stabilised earth. If you look up cement stabilised rammed earth you will find people use this technique to make walls and houses too. It's a fairly ancient technique.

[@tarak9412]

I’m so glad I came across this video. I want to put pavers around my fire pit, and this would save a lot of time and money. Thank you! Can I suggest to viewers to wear goggles, dust mask and gloves when pouring dry cement for general safety.

[@jonathanwhitmore421]

As a 777 pilot I can say you did a great job with T5. One of the few places I've never got stuck. And this will make laying my patio a lot easier

[@awt]

Sorry, planes get stuck?! What do you do when that happens?

[@jonathanwhitmore421]

@@awt increase the thrust until they break free. Sometimes it takes quite a lot, especially in hot countries where the tarmac can get soft

[@awt]

@@jonathanwhitmore421 amazing, not heard of that before.

[@shawnbottom4769]

For 500 frequent flyer miles, you can get out and push. I actually had no idea planes get stuck on the tarmac.

[@GodlyNoghri]

@@awt Yep, that's why we shouldn't've switched everything to asphault from concrete. Tractor-trailers do as well; ever noticed the grooves in asphault roadways where the ty/ires track? That's not from "wearing away" like a lot of people think, it's because asphault is forever a (very viscous) fluid. It's also why roads have to be redone constantly. That's why factories and shipping hubs like amazon almost never have anything but concrete for the tractor-trailer areas, they can't justify the constant, repetitive cost to their shareholders. Sure it costs a tad bit more to do it properly once with concrete, but then we wouldn't have to pay to constantly redo it. All of the facilities that I've worked on/been to have had the same concrete since it was installed 50-70+ years ago, despite non-stop heavy truck traffic, except for occasional cut-throughs for utility work. I can't imagine why we don't do that with regular roadways. Oh wait, what would we do with all of these government-dependent workers and businesses and their lobbiests and bribesmen that we contract to redo the roadways every year or three, in spite of much lower average loads.

[@Jogmaster9]

An ex army royal engineer gave me this tip, they use it for temporary roads. For a more consistent result I use a cement mixer with 1:6 mix and consolidate every 50mm of depth, gives great results.

[@eee9034]

Thank you for this insight

[@chiaroscuro6655]

Thanks for this comment-I was wondering when a Seabee from WWII would chime in. They must have used this as foundation for quickly erecting buildings and roads. Great trick explained well in this video, one which I'll definitely use.

[@TheDajoca]

Sorry for being thick, but what does consolidate every 50mm depth mean?

[@quinosonic82]

pressing on it@@TheDajoca do a 50 mm layer at a time

[@robertrichman4373]

@@TheDajocait’s to mix in each 50mm depth for the project.

[@elmerkilred159]

Standard mix for rammed earth or CEB/Compressed Earth Block is 10% or 10:1 earth mix to 1 part Portland. It actually can take "years" to cure, but your finished product can have a compressive strength potentially harder than granite. You can also skip Portland cement and go old school and use chalk or lime as a binder. You can also trap moisture into the walls with burlap to harden the mix while it cures. Leaving the wood forms on for 28 days might not work the same as concrete. A 20% to 25% mix is where you can start getting closer to an earthcrete poured mix. You have to use more water for the process, and the curing time is akin to standard concrete pours. I'm not sure what the compressive strength for poured earthcrete is though. It's beneficial and economical if you are using onsite soil.

[@MadLadsAnonymous]

Possible to use soil in a geopolymer formulation that forgoes fly ash and sand? (to yield a more eco-friendly mix)

[@elmerkilred159]

@@MadLadsAnonymous They have a slurry mix for poured earth, but I don't know what the mix ratios are. they are using Magnesium oxide instead of Portland cement as the binder. I have no idea what the clay to sand, to silt percentages they are using.

[@MadLadsAnonymous]

@@elmerkilred159 Thanks! I've recently gone down the rabbit hole. Got that classic geopolymer book to play with recipes. Would love to do a residential ICF build with fiber reinforced GPC, maybe some Xypex added to make it self-healing. Lots of experimenting to do.

[@elmerkilred159]

@@MadLadsAnonymous Experimenting is most of the battle to finding your mix. Good luck!

[@Quaker521]

What a very good idea. I particularly like the fact that you don't have to get rid of the soil and then have to buy in Type 1. Cheers.

[@alis49281]

There is no good name for it, but most old buildings in Europe (and east Asia, Africa) are built with Lehm, el limo, leem. This is not earth, dirt or (pottery clay). English has no very good word for it, but the precise description is, that it is a natural soil that consists of (pottery) clay and sand, but no Humus. When dry it has a medium hardness, certainly hard enough as plaster or mortar. It can almost absorb an amount of water equivalent of its own weight before it softens. It dries back without permanent damage. It is a perfect material for internal walls as it absorbs sound and buffers room humidity. It buffers heat as well. At the same time it is tough enough to hang heavier things on it, as long as the right screw is used without any dowel. People who visit feel comfortable, but often can't tell why exactly. I think it is sound, humidity, and reduced smells all together. They say they smell wood.

[@tonyguest581]

Sir. I've been in the building game for nearly 45 years and i never knew this? You have just saved me at least £1000 on a 25sqm base for my artificial lawn! Thank you so much for this post.

[@mick.Walker]

I would imagine drainage may be a problem using this method compared to type one over a large area like artificial grass but I may be wrong

[@justingibbons5559]

I agree my only concern would be drainage, I'm thinking of doing this under a paver patio that will be under a hot tub but it will be at a slope with a drain underneath

[@paulslaughter8982]

⁠@@mick.Walkertype 1 isn’t classed as permeable if compacted correctly

[@rob-fb5xs]

Drill holes in it

[@Jackzuk]

Yeah in terms of drainage this would not be much difference as type one is not permeable… you would have to use type 2 for this, not sure why more people dont use type 2, maybe its costs. Wonder if the lime version of this is equivalent to type 2

[@Ps119]

dirtcrete is underrated. I have used this in drain laying where I have put under strategic places under pipe to hold in place to retain fall. When the dirtcrete is wet you can tap the pipe down until the fall is just right, leave it to set, then drop in more dirtcrete or gravel to support rest of pipe length. Useful method when an accurate gradual fall is needed and is cheap and easy to do.

[@TK42138]

Every day is a school day. Didn't know you could mix soil with cement to replace Type 1 and surprised to learn that big civil engineering projects use this method. Wish I'd known about that before building a shed base and a patio. Cost a fortune in skip hire and MOT type 1.😆

[@sdoitla1431]

We've been discussing and planning for a patio extension. We're in Georgia, USA, and our soil is mostly red clay. (They make bricks from this stuff.) When the clay is dry it is very hard but during the rainy season it's a soggy, mushy mess. This method of soil stabilization will work very well on my 4m x 4m low load pad. Great information video.

[@erimus1]

Soil stabilisation is widely used, although any time that I have worked doing this, we have removed the topsoil and greenery first. Lime makes it more workable and permeable than cement. We also always put stone MOT on top of this stabilised ground

[@timwrigley54]

Amazed to see this, something I've never heard of. Wish I'd known this years ago before wasting so much time and money on my projects. Would definitely use it in the future

[@dwalsh3469]

I’ve used this method (hitherto unaware of it) for foundations for my shed / man cave on a very sloping site. Solid. I did some more “digging” on the method. The US Army engineering corp have a manual that’s 400+ pages on the civil engineering. UNESCO have a large publication on same for use in ‘developing countries’. Back in the day, when I was an engineering student, the civil engineers in TCD were working on using bamboo as structural reinforcement for concrete. I don’t think it ever either worked or went anywhere. Thanks Dude.

[@paperheartzz]

the algorithm must know i love a diy diagram like the cross section you obviously made yourself. I have so much more faith in my ability to follow instructions now

[@seankelly1291]

Finally, the proper use of "dry" setting cement.

[@TheDajoca]

Fantastic information. Thank you. As someone who has to do all home improvement work myself (and on a tight budget), you have given me exactly the information I needed, to do things in the garden that were previously out of our price range. Thank you.

[@gazpal]

Lean-mix cement : soil ratio is an excellent means of consolidating soil for light to medium loading. Add a screen of geotextile beneath to increase stability and you're replicating methods used in ancient Jericho where lime was added to soil, upon which they laid the first flagstone and sett paved roadways and footpaths.

[@chiaroscuro6655]

What did ancient Jericho use for geotextile? May I ask.

[@gazpal]

@@chiaroscuro6655 Jericho the city or Jericho Builders Ltd? If you wish t be pedantic, there was a tendency to lay a stabilising layer of reed, creating an intertwined mat over which they'd lay gravel and larger stone in layers., However soil cement isn't a new invention, with slaked limestone mixed into soil and compacted in layers. In essence it's still in use wherever you find mudbrick construction with lye added to the clay:soil mix.

[@georgeday5901]

Did not the walls of Jericho fall down?.

[@gazpal]

@@georgeday5901 we're talking paving and not wall foundations or walling demolished by the sound of trumpets lol 🤣🤣

[@bluesage1528]

@@georgeday5901 Everything falls down sooner or later. If it is later... we call it stability. But everything is destined to fall. That's the nature of our impermanent world

[@ivanhoe011]

What about the water drainage properties of such a layer? Say in winter, when the water from a melted snow goes under the pavement blocks, will it be drained sufficiently, or it will just sit there, and freeze at night and raise the pavement blocks?

[@andyc972]

A good point to raise Stuart, as we all need to minimise waste and un-necessary journeys and not just for financial reasons. I would suggest the big variable is the make-up of your soil, there will surely be a considerable difference between, sandy/gravelly soils, clay soils, peaty fenland soils, chalky soil & stony soil. I have quite a sandy/gravelly soil so I have successfully employed this method extensively since moving here 25 years ago, and have a policy of re-using all excavated material on site. It can cause a lot more work as I sort material by grading it and sometimes washing it, but I feel it is generally worth it. I would guess I've brought something like 12-15 tons of aggregates +slabs & blocks onto site over that period and as a result we are now noticeably higher than some of our neighbours, but we were at a low point so it's not ridiculously so. Anyway, nice to have this approach validated by an engineer, so thanks for that Stuart, I just did what I thought made pragmatic sense !

[@andrear6033]

Yes I’m keen to know how different soil types work with this method . I need to lay a base for a greenhouse and have been putting it off as the thought of digging out and carting in is very unappealing. The area is heavy clay soil that has a lot of stone through it so not sure whether it would work on that?

[@katkinslow]

Other comments have mentioned using ground up limestone on clay soils, ​@@andrear6033

[@plunder1956]

You're using it in much the same way we used to use Dry lean in Reading at the massive Courage site in 79-81. To stabilise a large working area prior to setting up the site offices and materials store. It was a simple quick way of making a temporary working area more stable. An interesting idea.

[@makhter40]

Great idea, I think mixing dry in cement mixer and then pouring on the ground would have given you better results

[@peterconnolly2724]

Love this concept; it's turned a week-long project to build a hard-standing for my bins into something that I can do over two separated days. Thank you!

[@AndrewVanDay]

Actually I might try digging the earth and mixing it with cement in the mixer to get an accurate mix and return it to the dug area. As I have heavy clay it is very hard to get lumps out and a smooth mix.

[@PNH-sf4jz]

Breaking up the clay and sieving the soil with the addition of some sand will also ensure a more consistent strength in the final product.

[@gijane9375]

Alan titchmarsh & Tommy Walsh ,Charlie Dimmock did this on light foot traffic foot patch in the garden.

[@simonrapley1126]

Only just seen this and now so annoyed I spent loads of money and effort under my patio, now I'll be using this method a lot more for non load bearing stuff, thanks so much for showing, really useful

[@batchrocketproject4720]

Really useful method for garden projects. I've done a similar technique in the past but with subsoil hardened with lime and cement. I'd always assumed top soil would be too friable but will definitely be giving this a go when I next lay some slabs. Thanks.

[@toolsaddiction]

So i tried this today with a heavy clay soil it was a very messy experience. I don’t expect much since adding a tiny bit of water turned the whole thing as a heavy and sticky mud Winter will add about 4 feet of snow to the aera the zone i did is a 10x12 feet and i put 4 bags of 40kg dug 4-6” deep Ill report with results after winter

[@dosam_6146]

Update?

[@Lutonman2010]

After seeing this video. Ive just made my first attempt at this for a sub base of an 8x6 shed. Hopefully in a couple of weeks it will have hardened off enough for me to pour the concrete base. I will Edit this post to let you know the result. But it’s definitely quicker, cheaper and easier then using MOT.

[@andysPARK]

Let us know how it goes 👍

[@DJ-uk5mm]

You can make walls using cement (or lime which I prefer) stabilised soil. Just build plywood formers and mix subsoil with cement then pour into the forms and tamp down in 6 inch layers you can build wa whole house like this for virtually no material cost

[@thehazelnutspread]

I've only ever heard of rammed earth using cement but never lime. Why do you prefer the lime?

[@nowirehangers2815]

What kind of lime?

[@adamdoyno4000]

You’re like some sort of mind reader. I’m getting ready to redo a path between my garage and fence and have been trying to find a way to produce a solid end result without breaking the bank since this isn’t an often used path. Thank you!

[@truthseeker7794]

Yes soil is brilliant and easy to work with. I used some planks of 4x3/4 inch tanalised timber to form the edges of a path. I staked them in while bending to the shape I needed and then shored the planks up with soil inside and out. I then put some some weed cover down and filled the space between the planks with gravel. Quickest path I ever made and I blended the soil on the outer edges of the planks level with the existing lawn I had laid the path over. The soil soon grassed over and that soil is now solid and has not moved. But I have also been thinking of laying some slabs into the lawn as stepping stones and thought of mixing cement into the soil. You just don't need all this sub base material unless you're going to park a car on it. Good luck with your path.

[@disklamer]

Great vid, very well explained. In NL we call this hardening the soil, usually done with coarse sand, or sand mixed in with soil, It does work very well and is a go-to solution for any outside area that needs to stay where it is :) . A small auger or a mixer attachment on your drill moves things along a bit.

[@zacharyschellinger4769]

What are the drainage considerations you need to take into account when using this method? I’m assuming type 1 allows water to percolate through while stabilized earth will create pooling on top.

[@joshnabours9102]

Concrete is porous and will absorb water. So will this stuff. But with the places you will typically be using this (shed foundation, garden bed walls, sidewalks, etc.) It should not affect your drainage plans at all unless you are pretty much covering your entire property with an uncovered slab of the stuff. Your normal drainage considerations are normally slightly sloping the slab to sheet water off away from the base of structure, installing french drains and the like to move water in a needed direction, and designing your roof and gutter systems to transfer water away from the foundation.

[@keishalawrence6584]

Does this work with clay soil?

[@MrJFoster1984]

In WW2 they did this to build make shift runways. Turning the soil over with cement mixed in

[@napalmholocaust9093]

8-12% compacted in forms has been used as walls in homes.

[@smitcher]

If you don't have a mixer then this seems like a great candidate for the 2-bucket method, usually for thoroughly mixing sand-cement... would ensure that you get a good mix which I assume will make the strength more consistent...

[@edwardhammock24]

Spot on, I live on sandy soil and need to lay a pad down for a shed. A few bags of Portland and a rotorvator looks like a good combo!

[@peetsnort]

Many parts of the great wall of China are compacted soil. The other trick was rice starch

[@johnmontgomery157]

Ha! Brilliant video. After building my own house it’s about time I tackled the garden. Fronts tidy so didn’t want to have 5 tonne of mot1 on the drive, this method will save me £££ in bagged hardcore🙏 Plenty of rubble and dry sandy soil round the back already which would have ended up in expensive skips! 5:1 in the Belle mixer, happy days🙂😘 Your channel explains everything so clearly, thank you for effort.

[@georgejohnson1498]

In the late 1970s I helped hang some fifteen foot steel gates round the farm with very heavy tubular steel gate posts. We did something not unrelated to what you did here. Firstly [and in those days it was all hand digging] we dug out some large holes. There was quite of a lot of stone [brick-sized and bigger] in the ground which we put to one side with soil going to another side. We dry mixed a small amount of cement with a fairly small proportion of ballast, and also the soil. We put in and levelled for upright [and height] the gate posts [two man lift in each case], and back filled with the dry mix, but adding all the large stones as we went. Every four to six inches we used a watering can with a rose to gently slightly wet the mix, and tamping and compacting with a sledge hammer and heavy steel six foot bar. The posts went in three feet so quite a lot of work. Just below the surface we stopped and topped off with some remaining plain soil. Of course there was a small amount of spare soil, but easily spread into the field. Those gates are still there over forty five years later and have not moved off being straight and level. No wooden gate post would last that long however good the wood might have been. The rot off at the ground ... This went right against what I had been told up till then that getting soil into a cement mix really weakens it. I suppose the reason that these posts have not moved was not down the strength in the mix as such, but rather the massive weight and volume of it. Very useful video for work on a domestic scale. Fantastic, and thanks for reviving happy childhood memories! 🙂 Best wishes from George in Herefordshire. [No longer involved in farming sadly].

[@grilledflatbread4692]

i appreciate the explanation of the importance of this hardened layer.

[@mrmukura]

Likewise. It's always good to know why you're doing something.

[@ResearchersOfTheTruth]

Just because of this video alone I am definitely subscribing

[@boyscott7193]

I need to lay a base for 10-12 paving slabs outside a greenhouse and have been putting it off for the expense and hassle of carting the hardcore down the garden. Now this could be the answer! Thank you, another great episode.

[@DKGCustom]

Just ordered a 10x8 shed... I'm thinking this would be a good start for a base

[@akbychoice]

This method was used on many road jobs I delivered fuel to, it works good in some places. Permafrost is hard to overcome. Some places cooling towers are used to keep the ground frozen.

[@theprogrammer32]

the curing process isn't even about it drying out, it's also about just rain and natural water getting to the rest of the compacted, mixed in powder and activating it.

[@FreqyBiker]

Im looking at digging up some of my garden and laying down paving slabs to give some hard standing for my motorbike - i figured all the digging and the type1/sand and whatnot was going to be a logistical headache for me. This looks like a good option. Maybe hire in a mixer - shovel in the soil as i go to give a more consistent mix

[@streaky81]

"that has got you thinking" - damn straight it has. My garden has pegs marked out for a shed base and the ground is already hard as a rock because clay soil, but it might save me one problem. I'd be slightly concerned about drainage versus type 1 depending on the use case - but for me I'm going to have a shed over the top anyway so it's not a big deal. I guess it wouldn't hurt too much to put a layer of type 1 over the top if you needed some extra height or to have the properties of type 1 in re drainage and surface either.

[@csehszlovakze]

I'm also curious about drainage.

[@feline-fox]

Properly compacted type 1 is not water permeable anyway.

[@katkinslow]

I've read a lot of comments saying crushed lime is a good material for topping clay soil.

[@rajeevnaik3877]

It also depends on the kind of soil you have in the garden. Soil with more sand like particles will have more strength than say clay like particles b

[@c.d.c9133]

i just build my house and dont have enough money for the paving, but until now, hehe now i can continue , thankyou

[@brianp7022]

I wish I had known this before I dug out the soil for my patio and edging years ago then removing of it and replacing with mot type 1…. Could have saved me days of work 😂

[@MucaroBoricua]

That's a very nice explanation. You convinced me of the importance of using crushed stones and sand as the foundation of pavers. Or using the cheaper alternative of stabilizing my own soil. I'm in the middle of reseating a bunch of stepping stones in the backyard and these techniques will come in handy. Thanks!

[@yakostudios5405]

Its so nice that you take the time to explain things. I personally had no idea why I even needed a foundation in the first place, so many people on youtube just assume the viewer already knows it all but being a first home owner i have no clue about most of the things im doing

[@jbmckean]

i have been using this for almost 25 years in my landscaping jobs.

[@kevinmatthews2620]

when the silverstone circuit was modifed back in the early 2000's a similar practise was used except instead of concrete, they used lime, same mixing machine you showed, and they weighed the lime per square metre, even @ minus 5 degress literally within minutes after the mixing the steam for the chemical reaction was visible, likewise the heat through steel midsole riggers and 3 pairs of socks it was -5 after all :) :)

[@richardphillips3303]

Now, that gives me an idea as to what to do outside my drive on an unadopted road...thank you very much for sharing 😊

[@justjones5430]

This is 'Tunisian Concrete'. It's how it's done over there. Sometimes I laugh at my African buddy when he's working, and other times I get my notebook out. 😊

[@Mus-Doc]

We've been doing this for years in South Africa when laying asphalt roads. Depending on the quality of the soil and the load and volume of traffic the road will carry, it's used in combination with other stone and sand substrates

[@turningpoint4238]

Same here in Oz just 2-3% cement.

[@dosam_6146]

Could this mixture help dry out the clay up against the north side of my house foundation where it never sees daylight?

[@CitizenNoFDABE]

One question: how much work is it to remove/dig up the resulting soil/concrete mix after a few years, compared to removing a conventional sand+gravel layer? I'm interested in the long term viability of this method, and I want to include removal/maintenance of such a base layer in my considerations. Thank you in advance.

[@collywogs2258]

I'm speechless. Thank you SO MUCH for sharing this knowledge

[@outoftheburrough]

I love that the paddock is your test facility Stu 🤣👍👍👍

[@wayneblackburn9645]

About 10 days too late for me, my bulk bag came last week. But I may not have enough for the job I'm doing so you're reassured me that the poor quality, stony soil I'm digging out for the patio will work instead if I add cement to it so thanks for the tip.

[@metallitech]

14:23 "Oh.", lol. Good study.

[@towzone]

Depends on your soil.

[@colinmottram4429]

Wow! Shoveling Type 1 into my trailer at the quarry is a job I absolutely hate! Great video, Stuart - thank you. Educational, informative and well planned - excellent content! I've got a few garden projects coming up and I'll consider this method for my designs.

[@kadmow]

- sorry, but the laughs got me, who shovels at a quarry - where I live we tend to have loaders for that.

[@jeffyoung321]

Wish I'd seen this video a few months ago before I started my garden project. Just completed 10 trips to the local tip to dump soil. Probably would have saved myself some time and money. Great video, I'll definitely be using that technique in the future, brilliant! Thanks.

[@asobstoryforeverysong9853]

Fascinating video. It's weird that last year when I was doing LOADS of research for my patio I never saw anything related to this. In fact the closest I saw to this was someone in America putting cement on their gravel driveway for added strength. If I'd known about this I might have spread a few bags of cement out across the ground and gone over it with my mini tiller. I'm guessing water flows freely through?

[@brainwater]

Looks pretty water impermeable to me. Maybe if you smashed the result after curing for a few days it would have enough drainage while still acting like gravel or type 1. Or you might go with a lot less cement.

[@abdullahX001]

This looks like a good way to create a border around planting areas

[@PietroSperonidiFenizio]

In italy to add cement to a garden you would need permissions. Don't you need it here?

[@PNH-sf4jz]

A variation on what is also called "Rammed Earth" that can be applied in projects ranging from small DIY garden applications and, with more refined techniques such as grading and careful measuring of quantities and mixing of the components, right up to use in buildings and major civil engineering projects.

[@TheBrewjo]

In my neck of the woods we have dry, sandy soil. So in the swimming pool industry it's standard after dropping the shell in to add cement as we backfill and pencil compact around the shell. Otherwise it'd be weeks before the sand would settle enough that we can put concrete or paving and coping down.

[@DSlyde]

Ive never seen one your videos before but this was excellent. Well explained, interesting, and useful. Rare time a youtube suggestion panned out

[@ChrisBGramz4u]

It was a corporate secrete. Profit first. It is nice to see this secret becoming public.

[@professorg8383]

This indeed does work and I've used it before. I recommend doing some test samples to get the ideal percentage of cement to add. t doesn't really take a lot and in testing, you want to find the minimum percent that gives you the degree of strength you need. It can vary quite a bit depending on your soil make up. A small 2 stroke garden tiller works nicely for easy mixing of he soil and cement. And lastly, compaction is a big influence on ultimate strength. If you are doing anything of any size, you might consider renting a compactor to reduce the labor on your back. There are two different types you can rent. One has a small base and works a lot like a jackhammer. You can find these electrically powered. The other is called a plate compactor and has some advantages like making leveling the whole pad easier. But if you are really looking for an easy way to put down concrete, look into something called dry pour. It's easy and you can work at your own pace. Strength wise it's very comparable to a traditional wet pour. The key is to forget everything you know about doing concrete and follow the dry pour procedures exactly! Don't be tempted to add more water. The key is misting and adding the water over time at the prescribed intervals.

[@jodyjohnsen]

Dry poor has nowhere near the strength of this technique. I considered it for my outside kitchen and trailer storage until I watched the testing videos and tried it myself. It’s work but the cement, soil and a small amount of water has to be mixed for best results.

[@professorg8383]

@@jodyjohnsen I completely disagree. If you do dry pour right, 3000 psi strength is not that hard to do. And the labor to do wet mix is big, No way the soil method even approach's 1,000 psi, even if you have ideal soil. But if you don't have ideal soil, it just doesn't work. On the other hand if you do dry pour right, I have tested the cured results to between 2500 to 3000 psi. (Using my own calibrated hydraulic press. Equivalent to standard compression tests) Better than a soupy wet mix, traditional pour. There's a lot of dry pour videos out there and a few are good and too many are twists on the right way that guys dream up to be more like wet mix. A big mistake, Trying to short cut the ultimate shortcut is just stupid an the first thing you need to do us forget everything you know about wet concrete! Most of the guys who got poor results, wanted poor results because they were concrete guys with hard heads. They insisted on trying to use what they knew about concrete and that's where they screwed up. The Cajun Country approach is the best. They may not come across as scientifically based but they have good common sense and did a lot of experimenting to refine their methods. Most concrete guys are not educated, but they learned from experience. Trouble is what they have experience in and not understanding why something works or it doesn't. The Cajuns spent a lot of time trying to figure out why they saw what they did. I've done wet concrete and worked on big projects with top civil engineers. I'm and engineer, but civil isn't my specialty. I learned a lot about the technical nature of concrete and enough about the labor part doing it, that it's way more work than I want to do. From the engineering standpoint a dry mix makes the stronger concrete but a wet mix is much easier to work. So I took the engineers approach to analyzing the method. I did multiple samples and monitored the wetting based on actual penetration. I carefully measured the water applied, Once full absorbed top to bottom evenly, I stopped watering. Interestingly enough, the amount needed to be fully absorbed, matched the recommended water to use for standard prep. Only differences from Cajun Country recommendations was to mist every 30 minutes. This better matched the absorption rate than once per hour. Misting number based on 1/2 inch of dry concrete. So for 4 inches, 8 mistings supplied full absorption. By misting every 30 minutes, the top crust did not cure prematurely. Like CC says, don't pre wet the ground. You want water to be absorbed from the top down, not the bottom up, rake in well when putting the concrete mix down to be sure it is well mixed. Screeding vigorously is important to cement powder to the surface. I made a vibratory screed to take the work out of that, It works to pack it down good and bring a bit more powder to the surface. Paint roller on that surface does well. Mist lightly, don't spray down, So other than shortening the misting schedule based on actual observed absorption, I use their prescribed method. Use good branded Concrete mix. Avoid cheap Menards and other store brands. These mixes are not as consistent and I believe have slightly less cement in them. Just not as good as Sakrete or Quickrete. I've been dry mixing my own in a small mixer using a bit more cement and #11 limestone. Do'nt have to but lowers cost of pre-mix bags. Thoroughly mix sand and cement and then blend in the stone. Add to the forms just as you would bagged premix. It's really low labor and you can set your own pace. DGMW, I think the earth based approach works pretty good for some stuff, if you have the right soil.

[@adelejones5059]

We did 2 dry pours early in the year, both around 4x12 foot and both came out excellent. I copied the Cajun country method and they are solid. I have more to do and I may try this idea as less concrete to buy and no soil to skip 👍🏻

[@professorg8383]

@@adelejones5059 If you are happy with dry pour, indeed, stick with it. Cajun country has it worked out pretty well. Most of my soil is too sandy to use cement stabilization without using a lot of cement. I have tried it many times with only very limited success. I had researched this many times over the years and without the right soil mix, it won't hold up. The US military did come up with an additive that supposedly makes it viable with less than ideal soil. It's called Rhino Snot. You can get it but it isn't cheap. It suits military needs where concrete isn't available. I even considered trying to get some to try, but it's an investment to experiment with. You need a lot of it too, so shipping/unloading the tanks is an issue. It's really more about dust suppression and it basically glues soil particles together. I really don't see it as practical for DIY use. Dry pour is pretty easy and does work very well if you do it right. Several key things to remember. Screed vigorously to get the powder to the top. You'll get a better finish. It still works just making sure that it is well mixed, but you get a rough surface. Water trough misting only, goes from the top down, don't pre-wet the ground. Don't use cheap big box store brand to save money. Sakrete or Quikcrete brands work best. You can potentially save a little money on a big project by mixing your own using sand, stone and cement. I've used #11 limestone 3 parts. 2 parts clean dry sand and one part Portland cement. (Not the ECO Cement0. I batch and mix it dry in a small electric mixer. It goes pretty fast. dump it all in your form spreading as you go. You can put in rewire if you want the added strength. I then use a homemade power screed to pack it all down and smooth it out. If you want an improves surface, dust with a little cement like putting powdered sugar on pastry. use the paint roller technique for a final smoothing and the start your misting. I mist about every 30 minutes as my tests have indicated that is the time it takes to be fully absorbed. Light mist and not spray. You can get a garden wand with multiple settings and you want to use the mist setting. A Cajun Country says, look for the color change and avoid over wetting. By making myself, i cut the cost by a bit more than half. However, I picked up the stone from a nearby supplier, so no delivery charge and I also have plenty of clean sand, Having a Bobcat, a dump trailer, mixer and free sand, allowed for the decent savings. It made sense for the big project. But without all that other stuff, the premix concrete is the way to go. So basically, I just made my own pre-mix. I tested some 3-3-1 and it seemed OK but left a more sandy surface. Sakrete and Quikcrete are supposedly 4-2-1 but with both coarse and fine stone. They don't publish the mix which is optimized for maximum strength and easy use. #11 "driveway" limestone is close in size. It wets and bonds a bit better than pea gravels. I've used dry pour for posts for many years and both Quikcrete and Sakrete premix, suggest that. I/m convinced that dry pour works great for slabs. as long as you don' need squeaky smooth, slick surface. The guys I had do my barn shop, finished it so smooth it's dangerous to walk on with wet feet! It's a beautiful surface but slick as glass. I don't think I would use dry pour for footings or thicker than a few inches. But I haven't tried it either. It has its place and I have been happy with it. I read and watched similar techniques, but Cajun Country has it down right. Good luck with your project!

[@bluesage1528]

@@professorg8383 Thank you! Wealth of knowledge👌 Will it work for a sloped driveway?

[@ericpetitclerc5519]

I have ZERO skill in any engineering builds, so thank you for all these videos; beside your electricity that Canada has many differences, mechanical engineering you present is a wonderful learning experience for me. Again, Thank you!

[@gazgough9264]

Amazing, I'm replacing our crazy paving soon and this will save so much time and money 👍 you legend!

[@jammyjt]

I pride myself on a broad knowledge of construction and DIY (hell I even did an engineering degree) but I never knew this was a thing! Another brilliant video.

[@thomasg4324]

*SUGGESTION: Take the cost savings of droping the cement percentage down to 10%, and place a single layer of cheap (preferably from rubbish) window screen mesh to the soil/cement.* This will bring your strength way up without the cost of additional cement.

[@jasonjayalap]

mesh below the mix or in the middle?

[@thomasg4324]

@@jasonjayalap It depends on expected use, but in this case I would go for the top 3rd.

[@Foodie-yj1qe]

This is a great alternative. However, does this allow water to drain like crushed stone?

[@-TKMAX-]

Was thinking the same but I guess really you should have a slight fall on your slabs anyway so th run off ends up in the soil anyway?

[@edstirling]

GREAT! this is how i get around those dang hoa rules!! genius!

[@bluecurlygirl]

Absolutely fascinating. So would the 15% ratio work for a wee patio too? God I love this channel.

[@thedigitalsnake]

Brilliant, especially as our garden doesn't have easy access from outside for bulky materials.

[@alistairneale7283]

Cement only works in sand or gravel material so won't work well in silt/clay soil. Lime is the best option for clay.

[@kerrielove7608]

Brilliant idea but would this work the same on a more clay based soil?

[@artyb27]

Hooooo boy. I wish you released this video 2 weeks ago. We're currently halfway through putting in a gravel patio down the end of our long garden, with stepped access. Shifting the MOT has been a huge pain in the backside. This looks like an amazing shortcut - thank you for sharing.

[@gillianbc]

Excellent video. I like how you've done the mock-up to explain the physics in your 'lab' with the practical demo in the garden.

[@kevinski1966]

Wow a crushing machine! Takes me back to when I used to work in quality control for a prestressed concrete manufacturer near Heathrow years ago!!

[@jacbisgood2221]

Well I think I've just found a better way to do my heat pump bases! Thanks 👍

[@haveagoharry4999]

Brilliant idea, was unaware of this until now and could help me out with some project around my stable block to save carting the soil away.

[@markirish7599]

Absolutely fantastic video full of excellent information and presented professionally. Love this channel. Best wishes from Ireland 🇮🇪 to you and your family and subscriber's