Terrace without concrete slab: thickness of sand or gravel?

[Christophe]

We would like to make a small garden terrace without having to pour a concrete slab (because we have a possible project to enlarge the house in the same place for a few years: we therefore need "reversibility").

It is believed that by putting "big" slabs of 60 * 60, they will self-stabilize.

Nevertheless, it is probably still necessary to put a kind of stabilizing "binder".

So question: what is needed and how many cm?

Sand? Gravel? Mixed? What particle size?

The place in question is on land with a slight slope, so we will have to do some earthwork before ...

I insist on the reversible nature of the operation. We are not purists: if there are some herbs that will grow it will not be so serious, however, it must be well "stabilized" (we will eat there).

Goods.

[Christophe]

I found an answer in this doc:
https://www.econologie.info/share/partag ... LWwAxy.pdf

15 to 20 cm of sand and 2 mm of cement to "stabilize the sand"

slope: 1.5 to 2%

It's correct ? Reversibility?

[gegyx]

I did this in a cellar, so inside

You have to flatten the earth surface.
Mark the terrace well because a 5 cm layer of sand should suffice.
So on the edges, it is necessary that the sand remains in place and does not leave on the side.
A well-packed edge or backfill is sufficient.

It's still a good amount of sand… It's not for the pedelec trailer.

The sand must be well packed with a "lady", wetting it incidentally.
After you put your plates with a camping mallet or by tapping with a mass on a piece of wood, a chevron to see if it is aligned properly flat.

In the long run it will move a little at places of passage.

You can put it directly on the ground without sand, but you need billiards or do that with mud.
In fact, sand helps to erase errors.

Of course, no question of passing a vehicle over it.

Ps: 15 to 20cm of sand is huge.
If you put a little cement, you can easily break it to the ground but it can no longer be used as sand?
You did not specify the dimensions.

[recyclinage]

I recommend you slab clinkers

it is a small slab where only fine sand is needed as a joint

so easy to remove and move


I recommend a concrete screed in dust (light cement-sand mixture) surround with a support slab for each modification of the earth plane it adapts and this joint does not forget a benchtop

it's the best and cheapest for temporary

[Christophe]

Thank you gegyx for your feedback.

Yes 15 to 20 cm it seems a lot too (it makes 1 m3 of sand every 5 m² !!) but it is certainly valid for small pavers ...

We are going to put 5 cm to start, I think it should go given the size of the tiles. As we have about 20m² (5.4 by 3.6m approximately), it's still 1 m3, in short 1 big bag of sand!

Too late, recycling I just ordered tiles of 60 by 60 cm ...

[jlt22]

Hello Christopher,

Last year, I made a 40 m2 terrace, with gravelled tiles of 40x40 and 45mm thick.
I made an earthwork in front of the house of 10 cm
I put borders to delimit the terrace, then I put a
geotextile over the entire surface with return to the edges.
Then I spread about 6cm of gravel, grain size 2/4 mm.
After laying the tiles I put very fine sand (15 Kgs were enough).

My borders are higher than the terrace for ground reasons, it is preferable, as much as possible, to have them at the finished height of the terrace to ensure the flow of water during thunderstorms.
My borders were wedged by 2/4 gravel studs, then a terrace finished with earth.

I also made an 18m2 alley of the same type on the street entrance and gable end with 50X50 tiles (it was already more stable for the installation)

So with your 60X60 tiles no problems, but hello back.

Sometimes there are small seeds that germinate, but a little hot cooking water from rice, pasta or potatoes eliminates them