MOT TYPE 1

MOT Type 1 is a crushed stone sub-base material, usually limestone or granite, graded so that nothing exceeds 40mm in size. What makes it work so well is the mix of particle sizes within that grading. When you compact it down, the different sizes lock together and create a base that genuinely doesn't want to move. It's not complicated, but it does the job better than most alternatives, which is why it's been a staple of UK construction for as long as anyone can remember.

The "MOT" part of the name comes from the Ministry of Transport specification it was originally developed to meet. That specification still holds today, which tells you something about how well it was designed in the first place. If a material has been built into road and driveway construction for that long without being replaced, it's fair to say it works.

Most people come to us for MOT Type 1 because they're laying a driveway, and that's probably the most common use. But it goes well beyond domestic projects. Road construction, commercial car parks, footpaths, hard standings and areas of heavy foot or vehicle traffic all tend to rely on it as a sub-base layer. It's also the standard choice beneath block paving and tarmac, where you really can't afford the ground to shift once everything's been laid on top.

The reason it suits all of these applications is that it handles load well. Once compacted, it distributes weight evenly and resists the kind of movement that causes surfaces above it to crack or sink over time. It's the sort of material that you don't think about once it's in the ground, which is exactly what you want from a sub-base.