What is Maintenance Gravel?
Maintenance gravel is a cheaper alternative to road base, and can be used in similar applications.
One of the important ingredients of maintenance gravel is palagonite within its matrix. It provides a binding agent that works in conjunction with the coarser aggregate. Once the material has been spread, and water added – it hardens to a very resilient concrete-like product.
This process ensures a longer life of the road surface and consequently extends the time before resealing is required.
This gravel is produced as a bi-product of the Jaw Crusher and/or horizontal impact crusher producing three screened products.
- The oversize > 50 mm fresh product,
- The 25-50 mm partially altered basalt
- The < 25 mm material. 2.5 road base can also be created directly by crushing and screening more altered basalt from the quarry face.
What projects would use Maintenance Gravel?
You typically see Maintenance Gravel being used across the following projects:
- Driveways
- underslabs
- firetrails
- ground stabilisation
- bulk fills
Should you use Maintenance Gravel over Road Base?
No. It is generally good to use for a fill underneath a road base or over an existing driveway as a capping layer. Road Base is a premium product, whereas Maintenance Gravel is one step lower in grade. Speak to our Quarry Manager about your next load of gravel.
How is Maintenance Gravel manufactured?
We process the material through a reclaimer excavator dug through a -22.5mm screen.
