‘What is he on about this time?’
MOT Type 1? What is that? I thought you sold sand and gravel! Well I guess I had better type a bit explaining what MOT Type 1 is and why its’s called MOT Type 1. Especially as it just happens to be our biggest seller and for good reason.
But before I look at Type 1 I think we should cover a few other bits of lingo around the sand and gravel business. I wonder how you got to this site in the first place? How many people actually search for ‘aggregates’? Perhaps you searched for your particular product. But what do you call it? Often Type1 will be called hardcore or stone or wrongly called other things such as ballast or just aggregate.
Let’s deal with ‘aggregates’. It’s easy to get mixed up with aggregates. And that in fact is actually what aggregates are, ‘mixed up’. The actual definition of aggregates is, ‘a material or structure formed from a mass of fragments or particles loosely compacted together’. Another use of the word could be, “the specimen is an aggregate of rock and mineral fragments”. The reason I go down this line is because this word or description covers exactly what our products are, aggregates. This brings me back to Type 1.
Type 1 is an aggregate. This describes a product made up of fragments of rock and minerals to produce the right product. MOT Type 1 is an aggregate that can be made up of many different materials including limestone, crushed concrete and granite in the right proportions. It’s a well-graded material sized from 63mm to dust, but with most of the material sized at 31.5mm to dust. The finished product must meet the exact specifications and be certified otherwise it cannot be sold as Type 1. Beware of cheap Type 1. You’ll find it is not the real thing and will not have the same properties as genuine Type 1. Don’t be tempted to save a few quid by getting the cheaper stuff. It will look fine until two years later and your nice stable sub base is no longer nice and stable and the driveway is sinking or the garden path is cracking.
However we still don’t know why it is called MOT Type 1. Well MOT actually refers to the Ministry Of Transport. And MOT Type 1 is a very precise blend of materials to produce a specific product that has been approved by the Ministry Of Transport for use in the construction of roads and pavements. Oh, and just to confuse you further, the MOT bit is old hat and now the correct name for the product is Type 1 SHW Clause 803 (Specification for Highway Works), but nobody calls it that.
Of course it does not mean this product can only be used for highways and it is in fact used in nearly all areas of construction groundworks. It’s make up means that when compacted this material forms a solid stable base that can then be used under projects such as driveways, patios, shed bases, artificial lawns and any other project that needs long term stability.
So hopefully it is now obvious why MOT Type 1 is our biggest seller. It forms the base layer for just about every project being done. We offer Type 1 in small 25kg bags, bulk bags as well as loose by the tonne. We can deliver your Type 1 to your project or you are welcome to collect from our aggregate yard in Cheney Manor, Swindon.
If you are still left in a world of confusion please feel free to visit our aggregate yard or give us a bell and our knowledgeable staff will help you make sure you get the right product for your project. We welcome trade and domestic customers and no project is too big or too small.
