Tarmac driveway, self installation.

[plugy]

Old bricklayer and general building back in the day looking for some advice on laying a new driveway.
Looking to have a stab myself, I know it won't be perfect and all that but feel its doable.
Roughly 45m2 previously had sets down and looking to tarmac.
looking for some advice.
Presumably we need to re work the hardcore and level, what's best a roller or whacker plate?
Should you then lay a edging coarse of sets, roughly leaving 70mm for the tarmac.
How to get the tarmac level, should you screed or flute rakes?
How much higher should you lay the tarmac above the sets before rolling with the expectation it will compress?
If you see or get some hollows or high spots, can it reworked or simply keep rolling until the area levels itself?
Do you have to spray with water before touching it with a roller or wacker.
And lastly what is the worktime before it becomes unworkable.
Any constructive help would be welcome.

 

[noseall]

Old bricklayer and general building back in the day looking for some advice on laying a new driveway.
Looking to have a stab myself, I know it won't be perfect and all that but feel its doable.
Roughly 45m2 previously had sets down and looking to tarmac.
looking for some advice.
Presumably we need to re work the hardcore and level, what's best a roller or whacker plate?
Should you then lay a edging coarse of sets, roughly leaving 70mm for the tarmac.
How to get the tarmac level, should you screed or flute rakes?
How much higher should you lay the tarmac above the sets before rolling with the expectation it will compress?
If you see or get some hollows or high spots, can it reworked or simply keep rolling until the area levels itself?
Do you have to spray with water before touching it with a roller or wacker.
And lastly what is the worktime before it becomes unworkable.
Any constructive help would be welcome.

You are asking the right questions, but pi$$ing in the wind, really. Laying Mac is not rocket, but it is tricky. Unless you know the tricks, I'd leave well alone. It's not just the base layer and the wearing course. Its quantities, having the equipment on hand, being swift whilst the gear is pliable/warm, dodging the weather etc.,
Can't you convince a Macker worker to spend the day working along side, for a decent wedge?

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

I'm with Noseall, it's a tricky job for a Novice, and you only really get one chance to get it right, once the roller has been over it, you cant correct any mistakes very easily.

If you do want to have go you'll really need a bit more depth to it than 70mm, that may be enough to the base course, but you'll need to put a 20mm layer of wearing course over the top.

You'll need a method of keeping the material hot whilst you lay it, and for an area of 45m , (it's been a while since I did any Surfacing work, but from memory, I reckon you'd need somewhere in the region of 6 tonnes of Base course and 2-3 tonnes of wearing). All would need to be moved to required point, and raked level, and to the required height to allow for compaction, again the experienced Hands do this by eye. Hollows and high spots cannot be redeemed once rolled, it has to be right first time.

It then needs to be rolled whilst still hot, rollers will come fitted with a water tank and spray bar, I wouldn't use a Wacker plate for that size of area. Bear in mind it also sticks like sh!t to a shovel, (literally) so you need some diesel to coat the tools with to prevent it sticking. (Avoid contaminating any the material or any existing surfaced areas though with diesel as it kills the bitumen binder in Macadam.)

Cooling time depends a lot on ambient temperature, this time of year workable time is greatly reduced, in really hot weather it can be a nightmare to get it to go off.

If still determined to have a go, plenty of advice here. https://www.pavingexpert.com/

 

[bsr]

@plugy are you planning to pick up the tarmac yourself or have it delivered? That will be two part load charges for delivery, especially the wearing course, so probably not economic. If you are going to pick it up how do you keep it warm?

I suspect it'll be just as cheap to use a contractor as in my experience they will prep several smaller jobs and then tarmac them all in one day.

 

[cdbe]

Do the groundwork yourself, then get two or tree fellas in to lay it. We used to do all the groundworks for a big surfacing contractor because his men were useless (manholes raised on scraps of wood, drainage falling the wrong way etc).