Gravel Driveway vs Box Blade

[Redlands Okie]

Feel left out

 

[Redlands Okie]

Buggs if your 3 point has the extendable arms on the end (for easier hookups) try leaving one end extended. Also lift one end for your crown. It’s slow but works.

 

[ovrszd]

These are fried1765's answers?

I'm not asking everyone, just fried1765.

Whooppss,,, sorry. I'm curious to hear his answers as well. No Brian, these were my answers. Sorry.

 

[fried1765]

Fried, I have a few questions for you.

First, what do you consider a significant crown? As in how much crown do you have on your drive. How many inches in height per foot width ?

Second, how many inches of rainfall per year at your location?

Third, what type of material is your drive made of?

Thanks in advance.

I am 2000 miles away from my driveway until May, so I can only guess from here.
I would guess that I may have 1"+ per foot.
Driveway is about 12' wide, and sitting here at my computer, I estimate the crown height at 6"+, though it is not uniform over the entire length (perhaps a bit less in some areas).
I have meaningful ditches along each side.
Climate data shows 65" annual precipitation. It is a forested, coastal zone.
The driveway is made up of 3/4" minus crushed stone, about 8-10" thick. It packs like concrete!
The base is 30" of pit run gravel.
I could shoot some grades, with my transit, but I have never felt the need to do so.
My wife gets impatient, whenever I ask her to play rod man.
I just make certain visually, that the rainfall keeps moving, as it hits the ground.

 

[MtnViewRanch]

I am 2000 miles away from my driveway until May, so I can only guess.
I would guess that I may have about 1" per foot.
Driveway is about 12' wide, and sitting at my computer, I estimate the crown height at 6", though it is not uniform over the entire length (perhaps a bit less in some areas).
I have meaningful ditches along each side.
Climate data shows 65" annual precipitation. It is a forested, coastal area.
My driveway is made up of 3/4" minus crushed stone, about 8-10" thick.
I could shoot some grades, with my transit, but I have never felt the need to do so.
My wife gets impatient playing rod man too.

I really appreciate you answering. I am trying to understand why you are typically so negative on the LPGS. And now I sort of understand, 65" of rain. That water needs a place to go and fairly fast. I wish that I had a far better understanding as far as all the different stones and how well each type stay together and resist water.


Anyway, thanks again for answering my questions. :thumbsup:

 

[fried1765]

I really appreciate you answering. I am trying to understand why you are typically so negative on the LPGS. And now I sort of understand, 65" of rain. That water needs a place to go and fairly fast. I wish that I had a far better understanding as far as all the different stones and how well each type stay together and resist water.


Anyway, thanks again for answering my questions. :thumbsup:

Long ago Civil Engineering degree (highway design) drove that into my brain!

 

[prichard]

I am 2000 miles away from my driveway until May, so I can only guess from here.
I would guess that I may have 1"+ per foot.
Driveway is about 12' wide, and sitting here at my computer, I estimate the crown height at 6"+, though it is not uniform over the entire length (perhaps a bit less in some areas).
I have meaningful ditches along each side.
Climate data shows 65" annual precipitation. It is a forested, coastal zone.
The driveway is made up of 3/4" minus crushed stone, about 8-10" thick. It packs like concrete!
The base is 30" of pit run gravel.
I could shoot some grades, with my transit, but I have never felt the need to do so.
My wife gets impatient, whenever I ask her to play rod man.
I just make certain visually, that the rainfall keeps moving, as it hits the ground.

You have 40" of gravel?

 

[fried1765]

You have 40" of gravel?

I guess you could call it that.
Top is 8-10" of crusher run 3/4" minus, with 30" of pit run beneath.
Pit run was placed mostly using the long reach of an excavator to carve it out from natural gravel side hill, deposit in a 30" trench dug for the driveway, and push the length of the trench with a dozer.
Maybe overkill, and it was not cheap, but it made for a great driveway !

 

[TerryR]

I understand the need for a high crown. We have an average of 53" of rain annually, and our driveway averages 14%, meaning some sections are steeper. I have difficulty creating more grade to the side than down the drive, especially after the traffic throws some of the gravel to the side creating depressions in the tire tracks. So the water likes to run down the driveway and in a heavy rain cut ruts.

But that's why I too am a fan of the rear blade - maintaining the ditches and crown is much more significant for me than smoothing the roadway.

 

[oosik]

I've found that the learning curve on my ROBB is looooong. However - as Bird indicated, way up this thread - lower it and rest it squarely on the ground. Then I raise it with the 3-point until it just touching the ground. Use my hydraulic top link to tip the unit forward/back for more/less angle of attack. Maybe in 4 or 5 years I might become proficient.

I only use the ROBB if I need to move a large amount of material - otherwise its the land plane grading scraper or some times the rear blade.