Concrete Driveway & Yard on Soft Bog Ground

mrfatpaddy

Hi folks,

I was wondering if anyone had any experience with concreting a driveway in soft boggy conditions? I have gravelled the driveway currently but I am looking to concrete a yard area at the rear of the house.

The problem is that under the gravel is about 10ft of wet boggy ground. To dig out and cart away would cost a fortune. Has anyone used terram to overcome this? What mesh was used and what was the thickness of stone and hardcore etc??

All help really appreciated here as I am struggling to find anyone who is sure without digging out all of the boggy ground.

Thanks,

Pat

kieranhr

The tried and tested way is to dig it out and replace with compacted hardcore, then cast a slab on top.

You can try casting a thick concrete slab with a layer of heavy mesh in it. A thick reinforced slab is less likely to crack when it settles. But the thicker the slab, the heavier it'll be, making it more likely to settle. It may not crack, but you might find it off-level in a few years. Depends on how soft the ground is.

When Bord Na Mona or the NRA need to build a road or rail tracks over boggy ground, they have found some success with large blocks of insulation placed underneath. In this case, your slab would be floating on top of the bog. Again needs to be well-reinforced.

If it was me, I'd probably live with the cheap gravel option.