input on road base for shop build

[kingranch]

Needing to put down some sort of base for the 40x60 shop. The spot is slightly unlevel with roughly 2ft of grade change from one end to the other...

How can I go about estimating the amount of dirt I need dropped off and have them spread. I am on the cheapskate budget so essentially I will be throwing down a 4 inch spread of white washed rock to make the shop floor. As it is the lot has a good limestone rock base but its unlevel.

Would I be better off just using the washed rock and building it up or getting a road base material spread first?

I plan on having the concrete guy do a perimeter concrete beam and do a slab later on when its better timing for me financially.

I have no idea of cost per ton or yard for matierials in Austin area.

Thx

[cosmiccowboy]

For what you are doing I would use chat instead of road base.

[JakeGraves]

It will be cheaper to lebel out and compact the existing grade. Look into Texas crushed stone in Round Rock to get chat or crusher run. Road base is premium mix of the same materials. I would leave it at compacted base rock until you pour slab later.

[Tmag]

We use clay for building up on a grade like that, it will compact and not wash away like dirt. You need to make your pad at least 10 foot wider than your building pad to prevent erosion.

[kingranch]

We use clay for building up on a grade like that, it will compact and not wash away like dirt. You need to make your pad at least 10 foot wider than your building pad to prevent erosion.

good point thanks

I anticipate spending around 1500 for the base material.. is that far off? also what is chat

[Drycreek3189]

Dirt under your slab needs to be a sandy dirt with low PI ( plasticity index ) so your slab will have less chance of cracking. Clay soils expand and contract with moisture changes. Not good for concrete. 150/175 cu. yd. of fill depending on slopes for the pad to level.

[Take Dead Aim]

Build the pad right from the start of you are pouring concrete later. You are looking at around $5-$6 a ton just for material. That is not delivered. Having not seen the site and guessing from your numbers you will need around 300-400 tons. A 5' overbuild is more than sufficient. Don't use clay it is not suitable for what you are doing. What part of Austin area?

[cj7zrcool]

IMO....this is not the area you want to go cheap on. It'll be the foundation of everything to come afterword. Get somebody to do it that knows what they're doing, get your slab down, & go cheap on the rest of it if you must.