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Path Construction
Decide where the path is to run, and mark out as required. It is assumed that the path is to be flush i.e. level, with the existing ground.
Sub-grade
The surface needs to be dug off to a minimum depth of 100mm. Remove all weeds and other unwanted organic matter. If the area of the path is troubled with weeds, the excavated sub-grade may be treated with a general weedkiller such as Sodium Chlorate, and a permeable Geotext Membrane will be laid on top of the Sub-grade.
Some thought should be given to whether an edging restraint is required for the path. In gardens, the loose surface dressing can become mixed with surrounding soil very easily. An edging helps to keep the gravel on the path and off the beds. If an edging is required, it should be constructed at this point. A brick edging is suitable.
Sub-base
The sub-base layer is the main load-bearing layer. It is designed to evenly spread the load of any traffic thereon, to the sub-grade below. A well constructed sub-base will prevent settlement and channelisation – the phenomenon common on cheap installations of block paving, where two 'ruts' develop in the paving. These ‘ruts’ are caused when a car travels over the same line of paving to the garage, every morning and every night. The sub-base is intended to prevent channelisation and settlement. It should consist of a 75-100mm layer of MOT Type 1 Road Stone, hammered down with a vibrating wacker plate.
1 tonne of MOT Type 1 granular sub-base covers approx. 6-8m˛ at 75mm compacted thickness.
Surface
Rounded gravels are usually from a marine or river source while angular gravels are a valuable product of quarry blasting. Both are quite suitable for surface dressing pathway. Ideal gravel sizes for pedestrian traffic is in the range 6-15mm. Smaller gravels tend to disappear into a mush while larger sizes can be uncomfortable or difficult to walk upon.
The gravel can be spread directly onto the prepared sub-base, and then raked out to the desired level as a layer 25-40mm thick. In practice, we spread a thin layer of the gravel over the sub-base and run the wacker plate over it once or twice to embed it into the sub-base. The path is then topped-up and compacted again. We find this helps prevent the sub-base becoming exposed if the gravel dressing is scuffed off.