Asphalt millings for fill

[Blumafia]

I’m building a 48x48 pole barn shop and I have a slope on my property.
I can get millings 5 miles up the road from a highway paving outfit.
Lowest corner is 30” but averages around 10”
Has anyone used millings for fill??
I obviously would compact in 5-6” lifts, on top of #2’s (for drainage), on virgin clay.
I need 200t for the barn and lean to’s and millings are cheaper than rock in Southern Indiana.
Any help is appreciated!!

 

[bob15]

Does the town have any regulations regarding fill? Wetlands?

 

[Blumafia]

No. Nothing like that.
Just pulling the trigger Tuesday and want to see if anyone else has used millings as base fill.
I have been told by 2 local concrete guys they prefer millings, but some people on the inter web say different.

 

[andyvh1959]

I hired a skid-steer operator off craigslist, he did a great job reasonably priced. I needed about 12" average of fill for a 24 x 28 garage. He suggested reground asphalt, graded and packed for the fill, and the price was great. I was all for it! He did the site prep with a laser after hauling in four trailer loads on his 10,000 lb tandem axle trailer. He took away all five small tree stumps he pulled out with the skid steer, graded out an area to widen the driveway, brought in the fill and packed it, $1500, one day and done.

The reground asphalt packed down nice and tight. The guys that did the slab forming and flat work were real happy with it. I put down 6ml vapor barrier and two inch pink foam on the packed fill. I'd use it again.

 

[Bondo]

Ayuh,...... Asphalt millin's compact, 'n tighten up nicely,......

Usin' it as fill seems like a waste, but, Hey, if the price is right, you won't find a tighter, stronger fill,.....

 

[wesst]

I work for a local municipality and use it frequently in our parks. If you are getting raw millings from the machine, the material will be in different size “chunks” as is breaks up. It’s a great foundation, especially if you use a geofabric underneath it. Ultimately I generally order 4” of screened millings, which are a more uniform size (slightly more money) for a topcoat and compact it all in lifts. It works great for the most part, however, like any aggregate, it requires minor grading from time to time depending on the traffic counts and weight of vehicles on it.

 

[John in OH]

I would assume it would make good fill, but can't speak from any experience. Only time I've seen it used was by my neighbor when he installed a new driveway. He used the millings instead of gravel. They packed great and have held up really well ... almost like a paved driveway!!

 

[SWR_Jonathan]

Can't go wrong with milling...compacts great! I'm using it as the base for my lean-to pad. Very solid.

**20 year asphalt veteran

 

[SWR_Jonathan]

Forgot the pic

 

[Blumafia]

I hired a skid-steer operator off craigslist, he did a great job reasonably priced. I needed about 12" average of fill for a 24 x 28 garage. He suggested reground asphalt, graded and packed for the fill, and the price was great. I was all for it! He did the site prep with a laser after hauling in four trailer loads on his 10,000 lb tandem axle trailer. He took away all five small tree stumps he pulled out with the skid steer, graded out an area to widen the driveway, brought in the fill and packed it, $1500, one day and done.

The reground asphalt packed down nice and tight. The guys that did the slab forming and flat work were real happy with it. I put down 6ml vapor barrier and two inch pink foam on the packed fill. I'd use it again.

Seems like a lot of guys are putting styro under there floor.
Explain the benefits

 

[NWOhioChevyGuy]

Seems like a lot of guys are putting styro under there floor.
Explain the benefits

Provides a thermal break for the slab & structure. Doing it in my build this spring.

Trying to find a source for millings for my approach and fill areas currently. Biggest challenge is to find something close. I live in a rural area and not close to any large asphalt companies or demo crews. Hauling maybe cost prohibitive for me. Time will tell, would love to use them as a base under my garage approach which will be concrete pavers. (got some at a steal of a price)

 

[kj_mustang]

Provides a thermal break for the slab & structure. Doing it in my build this spring.

Most put foam down because they are doing radiant floor heat. Keeps the slab warmer even if you are not using radiant. If you ever build a house and you want to finish the basement, I highly recommend doing it.

 

[TommyK]

Millings will work fine. I would make sure that they are not placed below the seasonal water table.

Currently in my State asphalt is considered clean fill but that may change here in the future. Not sure if that would be a concern going forward where you are but something to consider.

 

[TractorJeff]

If you can afford the Foam, then do it!
I notice the snow that piles up alonge the wall of my heated shop melts away down at the concrete. I assume it is because there is no Thermal Break so the concrete is warm out to the exposed edge.

 

[romoman]

I used millings for my garage and area around it. The stuff compacts awesome and works great. We had full cement trucks, tri-axles, pickups, etc on it in the wet and it held up great. In the garage it compacted very well under the slab.

 

[NWOhioChevyGuy]

Found some close to me plan is 5” compacted under slab then 2” foam then poly.

5” compacted under apron approach with concrete pavers also.

2 15 ton (12 yard) loads will run me $700 delivered - spreading and compaction done by me

 

[2mJps]

I know this is useing it in a different way a buddy tryed to use it around his farm on the roads he didnt like it. I was going to try some on a drive but havent yet.

 

[Denwood]

I did the parking area in my commercial building with recycled asphalt. It was spread and then compacted with the same machine roller that would be used in paving. I can’t recommend this material enough. It performs very much like pavement and held up to commercial snow plowing as well. While our paved areas (directly in front of loading doors) cracked over a few years, the recycled asphalt areas showed none of this.

The city did some sewer work last year and needed to pull up a section of driveway. They used a loader to do this, and it was clear that a few inches of the recyc asphalt had compacted to a consistency very similar to pavement.

 

[Kevin54]

If you can get millings, go with the millings, and tamp them down.

 

[tfb]

Most put foam down because they are doing radiant floor heat. Keeps the slab warmer even if you are not using radiant. If you ever build a house and you want to finish the basement, I highly recommend doing it.

I realize the benefits of insulation and I despise a cold garage floor as much as the next guy. However I have a underlying fear of the life of that material down the road.

I guess it has something to do with the fact that you spend time making sure there are no organic material in your base and everything is compacted well underneath this slab that you're going to pour... then you spend more money on foam sheets that are essentially just chemicals and air and that are compressible.

For me I'd rather know that I have a solid base for my lifetime, and spend a little more on fuel in the winter months. Additionally knowing that that un-insulated slab will help cool my space during the summer better than an insulated slab.