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.