Mainland Aggregates Customer Blog

  1. Types Of Sand Available Locally

    If you live near a beach you might think you have easy access to as much sand as you can get your mitts on but actually, did you know you’d be breaking the law to remove sand and stones from beaches? However, it’s lovely to remain true to local roots, so, when in need of sand for garden projects and builds of your own, it is always ...
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  2. Self binding gravel explained

    Gone are the 80s and their pebble dashed buildings with stony, uncomfortable gravel paths, for it may have looked the part (on the path, I think we can universally agree the pebble dashed houses were forever a mistake) but it didn’t half get everywhere! Inside shoes and the cut knees of children falling, not to mention the treading in as it...
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  3. What Exactly Is Railway Ballast?

    A railway ballast is used as a bed for railway tracks. They provide not only stability to the tracks, but also will offer a great drainage system when in place and support for the loads carried by trains running over them. They are very cleverly engineered into place so that they possess another beauty and offer low maintenance by being tricky ...
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  4. Why Silica Sand Is Safe For Horses

    If you’re a horsey person, then you’ll know that a horse is more than just a pet. A horse is a member of the family, an extension of it in fact, and as you love your family more than anything else in the world, by the same token, that love is offered to your horse too.  Once one gives their heart to their horse it is theirs ...
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  5. Types Of Stone Available For Gabion Walls

    You will find more and more, especially when visiting open gardens and nature reserves that the most a la mode way of producing a fast and effective stone wall for both home gardens and places of interest, is to choose a Gabion Stone basket wall. Wire baskets filled with Gabion Stones not only look attractive, but they serve such an important ...
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  6. Deep Dive Into Cobbles

      People often consider pebbles and cobbles to be one and the same but, actually, the differences are do mark one from the other. The way to detect which is which, is by measurement. A pebble will be sized between 0.16 and 2.52 inches according to Britannica, and a cobble will extend from that point to 10.08 inches. Cobbles are round and ...
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  7. How to use MOT type 3

    MOT type 3 is a sub-base material that consists of pure crushed granite, clean crushed concrete, limestone or basalt. This sub-base material might be 75mm or 40mm down depending on the quarried location. MOT type 3 sub base has been screened to create a reduced fines aggregate, making it one of the most widely used sub-bases when a product with ...
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  8. What are gabion stones?

    Gabion stones are one of the most commonly used materials to fill gabion baskets. Gabion stone is a natural way of filling gabion baskets to create an aesthetically pleasing and structurally sound gabion wall or structure...
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  9. The uses of road planings

    Also referred to as road scalpings, tarmac planings or road scrapings, road planings are a by-product of the resurfacing of roads and highways. These are created when the surface layer of tarmac is removed by a cold milling machine. The cold milling machine removes asphalt from the surface sub-base and then this material is ready to be recycled...
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  10. What is self binding gravel?

    Self binding gravel is a mixture of sand, clay and dust that is compacted to create a firm surface. This type of gravel is often used around woodland paths, heritage properties, stately homes and a variety of other areas...
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