Lobster wrote:
I'm about to start laying a new small section of solid floor (approx 1m
x 1.7m) - first time I've ever done this. Think I've extracted from the
uk.d-i-y archives all I need to know, but could someone explain about
requirement for compacting hardcore prior to laying the concrete? I
have excavated about to about 15" below the final surface (it's earth
now), and was going to chuck in 6" hardcore now. Am I supposed to sort
of jump up and down on the hardcore a bit before I blind it with sand?!

Thanks
David

You need a wacker plate. They are heavy (two person lift unless you are
superman) but quite good fun to use. They come in various sizes and you
can get ones that are like a mechanical pogo-stick (probably the most
suitable considering your floor area).

I'm not a builder but considering how much the hardcore compacts when I
have used a wacker plate I wouldn't have thought you could lay a floor
without compacting it first.

If you are feeling poor you can use a post with a bar attached at right
angles to compact small areas but it's really hard, hernia inducing,
work. Jumping up and down on it is practically a waste of time and just
hurts your knees.