Slabline Concreting Co. Cracked, lifting driveway to exposed-aggregate.
Highton. A cracked, lifting old driveway on a reactive-clay Highton block, replaced with an exposed-aggregate driveway on a compacted base and heavier mesh.
- Project
- 041
- Completed
- Mar 2026
- Build time
- 4 days
- Footprint
- 60 m², 150 mm slab
The job
What we walked into, and what we did.
The problem
A 60 square metre driveway on a sloping Highton block had cracked right across the middle and lifted at the joints within a few summers, because it had been poured thin over loose fill with no control joints. Two earlier quotes were a single round number with no thickness, no mesh and no finish named.
Our approach
We measured the area, set out the falls and priced it by the m², with the thickness, the SL82 mesh and the exposed-aggregate finish on the quote. We broke out and carted away the old slab, dug and compacted a proper base, stepped the thickness up to 150 mm with heavier mesh for the reactive clay, formed up and poured, washed back the stone, sealed it and cut control joints at the right spacing.
The result
A flat, crack-controlled 60 square metre exposed-aggregate driveway that grips in the wet and takes the cars, with the old slab and spoil carted away and the tip fees itemised. Handed over with the safe-to-drive date marked and the 10-year slab and footings guarantee in writing.
Materials
- Concrete to AS 1379 at 32 MPa, exposed-aggregate finish
- 150 mm slab on a compacted base with SL82 mesh
- Penetrating sealer over the washed-back stone
Named in writing
Materials and the honest number.
4 days on site
How the job ran.
- Day 1
Break out and dig
Old cracked slab broken out and carted away, the base dug and compacted along the falls.
- Day 2
Base, form and reo
Compacted base finished, formwork set to the falls and SL82 mesh laid on chairs.
- Day 3
Pour and expose
Concrete placed at 32 MPa, screeded, and the top washed back to expose the stone.
- Day 4
Seal, joint and clean-up
Surface sealed, control joints cut, site cleared, safe-to-drive date marked and warranty handed over.
On site
A closer look.
“Three quotes, and Slabline was the only one that named the thickness, the mesh and the finish. The driveway is dead flat now and grips in the wet, after the last one cracked across the middle in two summers.”
Start with a measured quote, not a brochure.
Tell us what you need. We’ll book a walkthrough and send a quote with the work itemised, not just a number.