Paving in Bellville: Flats Sand and Tygerberg Slopes
Paving in Bellville spans more than one kind of ground. The City's Tygerberg district plan describes windblown Springfontyn sand across the northern and central district, from Milnerton to Langa and Bellville, and clayey plinthic soils on the lower slopes of the Tygerberg. It calls those slope soils highly variable. Paving for Africa lays paving, driveways and tar across Cape Town and surrounds; include your suburb when you ask for a quote.
- Springfontyn windblown sand, mapped as far as Bellville (City Tygerberg district plan)
- Lower Tygerberg slopes: clayey plinthic soils, which the plan calls highly variable
- The Tygerberg's highest point: 398 m above sea level, just east of Plattekloof
- A new or altered carriageway crossing: City Miscellaneous Permit
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Bellville's two kinds of ground
| Where | What the City's district plan describes |
|---|---|
| Northern and central district, Milnerton to Bellville | Springfontyn Formation: reddish to grey, unconsolidated windblown sand |
| Lower slopes of the Tygerberg | Clayey plinthic catena, mostly sandy to sandy clay loams, highly variable |
| Upper slopes of the Tygerberg | Shallow, acidic, sandy soils with under 15% clay |
The plan says more than 10% of the lower-slope soil unit is structured clay soil and that shallow rocky soils are common there. The plan describes district soils, not the ground under a particular driveway.
Its residential section places the lower density, more affluent areas mostly north of the N1, in neighbourhoods such as Welgelegen, Panorama, Plattekloof and Monte Vista.
Concrete block paving on the Tygerberg slopes
The CMA's steep-slope note, written for concrete block paving roads, calls for anchor beams where the slope is greater than 12%. It gives a guideline for spacing further beams up the slope and leaves the final spacing to the engineer.
| Slope | Guideline spacing of anchor beams |
|---|---|
| 12% | 30 m |
| 15% | 20 m |
| 20% | 15 m |
The CMA's homeowner guide stabilises jointing sand only on steep slopes over 1 in 20, around downpipes and along roof overhangs with no gutters. Sloping driveways have their own section on the driveway paving in Cape Town page.
Bellville paving on the flats
The CMA's earthworks note says all concrete block paving must have an edge restraint, installed before laying starts. Without one, traffic pushes the blocks sideways and opens the joints, the CMA explains.
The CMA's Book 2 wants the bedding sand layer thin, clean and free of silt. Hollows in the subbase are not to be filled with bedding sand, it warns, since that causes settlement later.
Where the water goes
The City's Stormwater Management By-law bars anyone, without the Council's written consent, from obstructing or reducing the capacity of the stormwater system. By written notice, the City can direct an owner to retain stormwater on the property, or to lay a drain pipe or gutter to a suitable place the Council indicates, at the owner's cost.
The crossing on a Bellville street
Bellville lies in the City of Cape Town's Tygerberg District. The RIM Wayleave Standards place a new or altered carriageway crossing under a Miscellaneous Permit application to the RIM district office, and no work may start without a signed permit.
Bellville paving prices
Driveway paving on a vehicle base and tar surfacing are quoted per job, and so is cement paving supplied and laid. The working for each average the site publishes is on paving prices in Cape Town.
Neighbouring town pages are paving in Goodwood and paving in Kuils River. The rest are listed under Cape Town paving areas. For the services themselves, see paving contractors in Cape Town.
Bellville paving questions
Does a sloping Bellville driveway need anything a flat one does not?
Yes, once the slope is steep. A slope needs a site-specific design. In its guidance for concrete block paving roads, the CMA calls for an anchor beam at the lower end where the slope is greater than 12%, at the engineer's discretion between 8% and 12%, with subsoil drainage immediately upstream of the beam.
Is permeable paving worth it in Bellville?
Yes, where the ground drains. The CMA says a key criterion in choosing a permeable system is the permeability of the existing ground, established from tests on site, and lists groundwater table level, pollution prevention, discharge consents and proximity to buildings as further factors. The joints are filled with an angular aggregate, not sand.
How much is paving in Bellville?
It is quoted per job. Fewer than three Cape Town installers publish an independent price for cement paving supplied and laid, so this site gives no average for it.