Just like the foundation of a building ensures a long-lasting structure, a solid road base is the key to durable roads, driveways, parking lots, and walkways. Whether top-coating a gravel driveway, firming up a soft spot in a parking lot, or building a highway through a swamp, our full line of base course aggregates will set your project on firm footing.
Also known as Traffic Bond (TB), Road Base, or sometimes just “Gravel”, Base Course aggregates are named for their top size and contain all sizes under that name. The variety of sizes allows for maximum filling of void spaces, which makes road bases strong and water-resistant.
SCREENINGS
1⁄4”
1/4″ Screenings is a well-graded crushed limestone 1/4″ and under. Used to top-coat driveways, support pavers, or build biking/walking paths, 1/4″ screenings are an ideal solution for light-load areas where product workability is needed.
We stock 1/4″ Screenings at our Jackson, West, Lannon, and Sussex Quarries, and our Richfield Pit.
BASE
3/8”
3/8″ Base is a well-graded crushed limestone 3/8″ and under. Used to top-coat driveways, support pavers, or build biking/walking paths, 3/8″ Base are an ideal solution for light-load areas where product workability is needed.
We stock 3/8″ Base at our Jackson, West, Lannon, and Sussex Quarries, and our Richfield Pit.
BASE
¾”
3/4″ Base is a well-graded crushed limestone 3/4″ and under, designed to meet the Wisconsin DOT specification for 3/4″ Dense Graded Base. 3/4″ Base is our most versatile base course, used for driveways, parking lots, public roads, shoulders, and building pads.
We stock 3/4″ Base at our Jackson, West, Lannon, and Sussex Quarries, and our Richfield Pit.
BASE
11⁄4”
1 1/4″ Base is a well-graded crushed limestone 1 1/2″ and under, designed to meet the Wisconsin DOT specification for 1 1/4″ Dense Graded Base. 1 1/4″ Base is used primarily for large-scale public and private roads and parking lots where heavier loads are experienced.
We stock 1 1/4″ Base at our Jackson, West, Lannon, and Sussex Quarries, and our Richfield Pit.
BASE
3”
3″ Base is a well-graded crushed limestone 3″ and under, designed to meet the Wisconsin DOT specification for 3″ Dense Graded Base. 3″ Base is used primarily on sites that contain very soft materials or where sustained heavy loads are experienced.
We stock 3″ Base at our Lannon, Jackson, and West Quarries, and our Lisbon and Richfield Pits.
BREAKER RUN
6″
6” breaker run is a well-graded crushed limestone 6” and under, designed to meet the Wisconsin DOT specification for Breaker Run. 6″ Breaker Run is used for either extremely challenging site conditions or very heavy expected loads. 6″ Breaker Run creates a very solid foundation upon which other road bases are typically placed.
We stock 6” breaker run at our Jackson and West Quarries. It can also be produced upon request at our Lannon and Sussex Quarries and Lisbon Pit.
INSTALLATION TIPS
While most of our customers are contractors with extensive construction experience, many of our private customers benefit from the knowledge of a few basics when using Base Course Aggregates:
Get the mud out first
- A persistent pothole or weak area of a driveway or parking lot will likely have very weak subsurface materials like mud or clay.
- Before adding more materials to the surface, dig out the bad material underneath first. The amount of material to be removed will depend upon the site conditions, but generally one should remove more material when the pavement will have to support heavy traffic or the subsurface material is very poor.
Always consider water flow patterns
- For exposed gravel driveways, sitting water accelerates the development of potholes and ruts. Never build a gravel driveway or parking lot with flat surfaces and have a drainage plan for water once it leaves the gravel surface.
- For paved surfaces in freeze/thaw climates, excessive moisture in and around the base course aggregate leads to swelling and cracking of the pavement, significantly reducing the life of the pavement. Have a grading plan that sheds water away from paved surfaces to keep the base as dry as possible.
- Sitting water next to driveways can accelerate the liquefaction of soils under the driveway’s surface, leading to potholes or cracked pavement. The areas immediately surrounding a driveway surface should be free of standing water at all times.
Compaction, compaction, compaction
- When delivered to a job site, base course is a loose material that is easy to work with, but it is also nearly useless for supporting traffic or pavements. Base course becomes effective when it is compacted after it has been placed.
- For deep applications of road base (greater than a few inches), install the base course in lifts, compacting each lift to make sure that all the material forms a tight matrix.
