Concrete driveways in Wendouree.
Wendouree sits on some of the most reactive clay in the City of Ballarat - the kind that swells 40mm in winter and shrinks back in summer. Get the engineering right and a Wendouree driveway lasts 30 years. Get it wrong and it cracks in two.
The Wendouree driveway story.
Highly reactive clay - Class H site classification.
The ground under most of Wendouree (and adjoining Mitchell Park, Lake Gardens and parts of Invermay Park) is classified Class H or H1 in AS 2870 site classification - highly reactive expansive clay with seasonal surface movement above 40mm. We’ve seen unreinforced builder’s driveways from the early 2000s with cracks 8-12mm wide running diagonal across the full slab. Mesh saves the slab. Base preparation saves the mesh.
What we spec on Wendouree jobs.
- Base: 100mm Class 3 crushed rock, compacted in 50mm lifts to 95% Mod-AASHO
- Membrane: 0.2mm builder’s plastic vapour barrier under the slab to prevent capillary moisture migration
- Reinforcement: SL92 mesh on 50mm bar chairs, all overlaps min 200mm
- Concrete: 32MPa, 80mm slump, with air-entrainment additive for freeze-thaw resistance
- Joints: Saw-cut control joints at 1/3 slab depth, every 3m max, set up within 18 hours of pour
- Cure: 7-day wet hessian cure, sealer at day 8
Lake Wendouree precinct.
The lakefront end of Wendouree (Wendouree Parade, Forest Street) has higher-end Edwardian and Federation homes with established gardens. Driveways here usually want a decorative finish - exposed aggregate with Castlemaine slate or coloured concrete in charcoal or sandstone to complement the period architecture. Crossover access is usually constrained by mature trees so we drone-survey first.
Typical Wendouree jobs.
- Replacement driveway over reactive clay (Class H spec) ($7,500-$13,000)
- Exposed aggregate for Lake Wendouree precinct heritage homes
- Slab-and-side-path combinations on long Wendouree blocks
- Tree-protection-zone-aware excavation near established gum trees
- Crossover bond lodgement with City of Ballarat
Other service areas.
Free Wendouree driveway quote.
Reactive-clay engineering done right. Fixed-price written quote in 48 hours.