Gravel Driveway Project...Will BoxBlade Work?

[BrentP]

Hi, this is my first project with my new tractor, and I have never used a rear implement before. I was thinking maybe installing a tooth bar on the FEL, and buying a rear blade, but now after a little reading...I am thinking of buying just a BoxBlade instead.

I have 300' of drive to maintain throughout the year. The front drive (150') is about 2' to 3' feet higher than my garage, so the water drains at the house off the driveway. The rear drive (150') is lower than the foundation, and needs to be "crowned". The attached pictures show things a little clearer.

My plan is to drop about 30' of front driveway down about 3' and slope it away from the house. I would then move this earth to the rear drive and create the crown. I would then need to maintain this crown on both driveways throughout the year. Would a boxblade & my loader (without a toothbar) be able drop this drive? Also, can I angle a boxblade to create the crown and push the gravel to the center?

My drive is somewhat soft (especially mushy in the spring). I think it is mostly crushed gravel/clay with a 21AA layer of rock mixed in. I can basically move the dirt around with my feet, and my truck creates holes and ruts just from normal driving and turning on it.

Can the BB do everything I need? If so, any pointers on how to use it would be appreciated. Also, does anyone use a BB to manage, level snow?

Thanks, Brent

 

[EddieWalker]

To move that much dirt is a massive undertaking with a CUT. It's possible, but you'll be pushing the tractor to do so.

Can you adjust the drainage with culverts? It would be allot easier and cheaper.

From your pictures, it looks like you have to wrong type of rock for a road. The rock in your picture looks like rounded river rock. This is about the worse type of rock to use as it will never lock together or form a solid base. It's nice to look at and fine to walk on, but that's about it.

The rock you need has sharp edges and varies in size from several inches to fines that are smaller then sand. This variation is size allows it to compact together and interlock to form a solid mass. The sharp edges also contribute to the locking together of the different sized rocks.

This has to be at least four inches thick to be able to hold itself together. Any thinner and it will flex and move on you, which will create potholes and ruts. One of the biggest mistakes I read on here that people do all the time is to drag there gravel driveways with a box blade to smooth it out and fill in the low spots. What's happening is they are making the good parts of their driveway thinner and weakening the entire driveway. If and when you have a low spot, pothole or area that need more gravel, go buy more gravel and fill that low spot. Never pull from one are to fill another!!!!

You can use the boxblade to smooth the new gravel, but you can also do this with your front bucket. That's how I do it. Just dump the rock where I need it and smooth it out. Quick, simple and easy.

If your entire driveway is of that rounded rock, I'd just leave it there and dump the proper road base rock on top of it. For 300 feet, you'll need 75 to 80 tons.

Eddie

 

[ericjeeper]

as I see it.. you are going to have to cut ditches too.. Can't just dig a hole out in the driveway. My driveway is over 300 feet long. When I put it in, I used railroad thinking. I cut ditches down each side about 18 inches deep. sloped the sides back for mowing purposes. I have lived here for 3 years now and I have not needed to add any stone.. and a tandem axle trash truck comes in my driveway once a week.
I feel the biggest mistake made when putting a driveway in, is cutting the drive down and then filling the bed with stone.. You already started out in a trench (pond)
Back to topic.. I think you need someone to come in with a small dozer with a 6 way blade.atleast have him rough it out for you.

 

[BrentP]

I had thought of culverts or drain tiles and they may work, but I have had many locals and excavators advise me not to. The reason is snow and ice. In the late winter and early spring they would dam up to solid ice and then when the early spring rains come with the ice dams...well, it would be a disaster. I am already experiencing this every spring on my cement slab. It takes weeks for that ice to melt. Because of the winters here, everyone says the best thing is to make the water just move away from the house naturally.

I agree on the rock...It is not ideal to have, but it was here when I moved in. This explains why it never really "hardens".

I think I will mess around on my own, and then if it seems to challenging for the CUT, then maybe a dozer for hire to rough it in and drop it down. I then can basically maintain it with my CUT after wards. If possible, I also plan on doing the ditches along the side myself as well.

 

[jbrumberg]

BrentP:

In addition to the other posts I think you would benefit from a underlying blanket of geotextile material to prevent "water pumping" especially during "mud season". Regardless of what you choose to do with your driveway if you intend to dig in dense material like dirt/mud a toothbar really makes the FEL more effective. Jay

 

[RonMar]

It is hard to tell from the first picture, but in the left of that picture, is it lower than the driveway? Or put another way, when you lower the drive 2' in the area you pointed at, is it still going to be higher than it's surroundings on the side away from the house? If not, then it will be the collection point for the water and ice. If it is lower off to the left in that first pic, or can be ditched on that side to a lower spot, then it should be OK.

As mentioned, that gravel is not really suited for a driveway. Probably better in a drainfield as the water easilly flows around and thru it, which it sounds like it is doing to your garage and concrete apron. I am not even a big fan of it for walkways(unless mixed with concrete) as it always shifts when you walk on it and it is no fun on bare feet I am in the process of tearing up a walkway between garage and house made from round gravel now. What I would reccomend is 3/4"(average size) crushed WITH fines. This interlocks and packs well and should make for a pretty stable driveway. You might also want to pull up some of that round stuff. Depending on how thick it is, it may not make a very stable base for the crushed rock. The crushed wont stay compacted if the base under it continually shifts.

Depending on your soil type, you should be able to do this job with a box blade with scarifier teeth. Rip a pass/pile with the box, then scoop and relocate to rear drive with the FEL. With your size tractor this will be a little time consuming so be prepared for a messy dirt road driveway for a while. IF you have hard pack/clay, the cut/move/fill might be better contracted out, then you do the finish work and crown. The box blade should be able to crown with one lift arm higher then the other. My box grader does this pretty well. I use a chain harrow on my drive occasionally for cleanup/maintenance.

Good Luck

 

[VABlue]

Rather than lowering the entire drive, could you dig it out near the main road and put in a culvert to drain off the low part of the drive? This would leave you with a downhill run away from the house and garage, but still leave the drive above the rest of the yard. The low point would need some drainage, bu that seems more manageable than reworking the entire thing.

 

[BrentP]

Yes, once I lower the front 2' from the house...I will need to ditch that left side. I think that will be the only side needing the ditch. It is the highest point on the property (other than the drive).

I do not plan on lowering the entire drive, but rather create a "V" 30' out, adding the ditch, and leaving the rest as is (other than grading). I think a culvert is only putting a "bandage" over the problem, and still may dam up with the temp variations here. I have a culvert at the end of the drive (by the road) and it ices up bad. If I am not careful I find myself sliding into the road at the end of the drive because of ice there . I would not want that in front of my garage.

I have attached a couple of 2D sketch's I drew up of my plans. The angles are drastically exaggerated in the side view to show intent.

Once I get the water flowing how I want it...I will then worry about replacing or adding to the gravel type.

I may go get the box blade tomorrow and start playing around . I think my dirt and gravel will be very workable with my soil type.

 

[VABlue]

Nice drawings... Looks to me like you have the right idea. Maybe try to keep most (if not all) the runoff away from the septic field, you don't want too much water over there... The little 2305 will do the job, but it'll be a slow job, so have fun with it!

 

[Knotbored]

I have a small tractor with a rear box blade and don't find it very useful for moving dirt or gravel any distance. I now wish I had a blade that was adjustable instead for sloping like a 3 way dozer blade.
I agree a dozer could do the rough shaping in half a day, then you could use your FEL backblading to smooth it as well as with a box scraper.
Save your money for a landscape rake or back blade or both.