• Post Reply Bookmark Topic Watch Topic
  • New Topic
permaculture forums growies critters building homesteading energy monies kitchen purity ungarbage community wilderness fiber arts art permaculture artisans regional education skip experiences global resources cider press projects digital market permies.com pie forums private forums all forums
this forum made possible by our volunteer staff, including ...
master stewards:
  • Carla Burke
  • Nancy Reading
  • John F Dean
  • r ranson
  • Jay Angler
  • paul wheaton
stewards:
  • Pearl Sutton
  • Leigh Tate
  • Devaka Cooray
master gardeners:
  • Christopher Weeks
  • Timothy Norton
gardeners:
  • thomas rubino
  • Matt McSpadden
  • Jeremy VanGelder

DOT Ag-Base=Recycled Concrete

 
Posts: 21
1
  • Likes 1
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Hey All,

Around here (central OK) D.O.T "ag-base" or road base is basically recycled concrete from old roads, etc.  Finding what a 'normal' permie (oxymoron???) would call "road base" around here is nigh near impossible.  The closest I've found is decomposed granite (love the stuff, but the closest to us is 3 hours away).  The question becomes, how far can one deviate from purity when it comes to creating an earthen floor?  The second question becomes, what else might one use?  We're interested in basically a tamped floor with the option of tile, etc. on top.  Our original plan was gravel over tamped grade (4"), then road felt, then decomposed granite and a thinner finish of troweled cob and tile, etc.  Now, funds are short.  If you've read any of my questions before, you may have gathered that we've had a long line of "unexpecteds" and crazies happen since the beginning of our building fit journey and they have drained our resources.  Now we find we need our house to be done.  DONE.  And I need practical ideas.  Yes, I have the book.  Whichever one you want to reference.  Yes, I've read that article.  I promise.  Now my brain is smoking and I need your input.  

Blessings upon you.  

Zee
 
pollinator
Posts: 240
Location: Northern New Mexico, Zone 5b
8
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
A lot of sand and gravel operations will have crusher fines. Some crusher fines are good for floors as is. Sometimes you may need to add sand or clay to make them perform better.

Crushed cement might work - you would probably have to add clay soil to it.
 
gardener
Posts: 522
Location: Sierra Nevadas, CA 6400'
201
4
hugelkultur dog trees woodworking
  • Likes 2
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
I have seen many people use soil-cement floors with great success. Till in some cement into the first few inches of soil, get it damp, tamper it down and let it dry. It ends up being a nice semi-waterproof (the more cement, the more waterproof) flat surface that you can put whatever you want on top — wood flooring, tile, cob, etc.
 
master pollinator
Posts: 1751
Location: Ashhurst New Zealand (Cfb - oceanic temperate)
534
duck trees chicken cooking wood heat woodworking homestead
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Paper bags are supposed to make a nice floor surface, and could go over a substrate that's a rubble and earth mix.
 
Do NOT activate your jet pack until AFTER you get out of the car! Even this tiny ad knows that:
12 DVDs bundle
https://permies.com/wiki/269050/DVDs-bundle
reply
    Bookmark Topic Watch Topic
  • New Topic