I'm ready to put my TC55 to use constructing a driveway. Any advise regarding how to go about this. The plan is for a country type driveway with 2 crushed stone pathways with grass in the middle and along the borders. Base soil is clay and is mushy during wet season. Is gravel fill or stone fill recommended and how thick. Any suggestion for top layers and type of stone. Type of culvert pipe: plastic or steel. Pitch of driveway and radius of curves? This driveway will be going up a side hill and I need to accommodate a fire truck if needed for emergencies. Any imput would be appreciated.
DRIVEWAY CONSTRUCTION
- Thread starter VIEWQUEST
- Start date
unreconstructed
Platinum Member
I have done some dirt work, but am not a professional nor an engineer. Your profile does not give a location so I don't know what kind of aggregate is available, but I am going to do about the same thing. Here's my plan:
When the ground is wet, I am going to rut it out with an old 4WD pickup I have--going to make several passes to accomodate smaller wheel base as well as full size plus a little. When I judge that the ruts are deep enough to give me some crown in the middle, I may go with a layer of 1 inch crushed rock on the bottom (just enough to cover the ground and provide some stability--maybe even an inch deep and try to compact that layer when the ground's wet), then pack in caliche. On top I may go with what is called "decomposed" or crushed granite--I have never used it and is new to me as I am new to the Texas Hill country. If I don't do that I'll just use another thin layer of the 1 inch rock to keep the tires from mudding up in the caliche when its really wet. We get about 25 inches of rain a year where I will be, so I don't have to be overly concerned with a perfect road base. At any rate, I'll have to experiment --I am from sandy country and the place I am building the road is in black dirt-- but I don't think the aggregate will be anymore than 4 inches total. That may be overdoing it, just depends how far I drop the ruts. I think if you use rock as a base, then the fire truck will be OK. How much depends on your soil of course.
I determined the radius of the turns by hooking a 20 foot trailer on to my F 250 and just made tracks--told you I am not a "pro".
Have never used plastic for a culvert--don't know.
That's the best I can do --someone on TBN can probably tell you the right way. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif I don't want to remove a lot of rock, dirt, and grass and build a "good" road so am just trying to rut it in. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif
When the ground is wet, I am going to rut it out with an old 4WD pickup I have--going to make several passes to accomodate smaller wheel base as well as full size plus a little. When I judge that the ruts are deep enough to give me some crown in the middle, I may go with a layer of 1 inch crushed rock on the bottom (just enough to cover the ground and provide some stability--maybe even an inch deep and try to compact that layer when the ground's wet), then pack in caliche. On top I may go with what is called "decomposed" or crushed granite--I have never used it and is new to me as I am new to the Texas Hill country. If I don't do that I'll just use another thin layer of the 1 inch rock to keep the tires from mudding up in the caliche when its really wet. We get about 25 inches of rain a year where I will be, so I don't have to be overly concerned with a perfect road base. At any rate, I'll have to experiment --I am from sandy country and the place I am building the road is in black dirt-- but I don't think the aggregate will be anymore than 4 inches total. That may be overdoing it, just depends how far I drop the ruts. I think if you use rock as a base, then the fire truck will be OK. How much depends on your soil of course.
I determined the radius of the turns by hooking a 20 foot trailer on to my F 250 and just made tracks--told you I am not a "pro".
Have never used plastic for a culvert--don't know.
That's the best I can do --someone on TBN can probably tell you the right way. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif I don't want to remove a lot of rock, dirt, and grass and build a "good" road so am just trying to rut it in. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif
NSBound
Platinum Member
Hi Viewquest :
There have been quite a few driveway projects discussed here over the past few years. I just finished a similar project myself last year and it came out terrific, but I had to hire it out due to lack of equipment. If you do a search using some of your key words, you'll come up with a few discussions, like this one.. Whatever you end up doing, please remember to take some digital pics and share your work, dilemma and progress! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
There have been quite a few driveway projects discussed here over the past few years. I just finished a similar project myself last year and it came out terrific, but I had to hire it out due to lack of equipment. If you do a search using some of your key words, you'll come up with a few discussions, like this one.. Whatever you end up doing, please remember to take some digital pics and share your work, dilemma and progress! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
inveresk
Platinum Member
I'd suggest getting in touch the your local fire department to ascertain if they have specific requirements. You haven't mentioned how long your drive is but in my experience fire engines usually need somewhere they can turn rather than have to back all the way down a long drive. There might well be other issues they would want a say on - width, radii at bends, gradient, loadbearing capacity, etc. Once you know those design criteria, you can prepare a specification to meet it and I expect TBN members can help.
Onthesauk
Silver Member
8 or 9 years ago I extended the county road 800 to my property and then ran the road another 1000 feet up to my home site, all of this over sod and clay underneith. A local logger did it on weekends for me. Ran a cat over then entire roadbed to level. Had a gravel pit less then a half mile away and bought "pit run" at 50 cents a yard hauled in a massive offroad dump truck. About one foot of pit run, 14 feet wide and then walked in with the cat. This sat for about a year before I had 2 inch minus laid on the road where it went up the hill. This got driven on for another year or two until the house was done and then put down 3/4 minus over the whole thing. I drag it with a 7 foot landscape rake, usually about twice a year and the county portion has gotten almost like pavement. Only problem area is a corner on the hill that tends to tear out a little, just needs additional raking. Still put down a thin drop of 3/4 minus every other year or so.
Had heavy clay in what would be the parking area up around the house. Fellow doing my excavation work had three loads of pit run dumped and with a cat, worked it into the top couple of feet of clay and then walked it in. Drains well and holds the crushed on top.
My culverts are metal but plack plastic ones are used as often up here. All this to accomadate about 90 inches of rain a year.
Had heavy clay in what would be the parking area up around the house. Fellow doing my excavation work had three loads of pit run dumped and with a cat, worked it into the top couple of feet of clay and then walked it in. Drains well and holds the crushed on top.
My culverts are metal but plack plastic ones are used as often up here. All this to accomadate about 90 inches of rain a year.
SteveInMD
Platinum Member
Recycled concrete is easy to get here and makes a great base. If it's wet I'd start with 3 inch for the base. 3/4 stone makes a good finish layer, but some people prefer smaller. The key is a good landscape rake, one with gauge wheels if you can swing it. Rake it out 3 - 4 times a year and you wont pay for so much wasted gravel at the edges and down the middle. Good maintenance is important. If you want to accommodate trucks you need to go at least 12 feet wide and maybe wider at the corners if they are sharp.
skipmarcy
Veteran Member
First of all, most people don't realize that putting in a rural driveway is a process - you don't just do the work in a few days or a week and it's done, like if you were to concrete it or pave it. When I built my 1/4 mi. long driveway back in Tenn I had to cross a fair-sized creek, cross a small field and then curve around and up a fair-sized hill. The basic grade & ditching had to be done with a dozer - I had a good friend that was a top-notch dozer operator and got my basics in for me. I had to put 2, 5' dia. and 1, 6' dia. culverts in to cross the creek - I used 13 ga. galvanized and they had maybe 6" to 8" of fill on top. This doesn't sound like much but it carried a 50,000 lb. track hoe without a groan and 12 trips of 10-yard concrete trucks across it. Don't know about the strength of plastic pipes in those diameters, but I did use some 12" plastic later on the property for some aux. driveways and they are definitely sturdy - dozers & backhoes caused no harm and the smooth walls inside are great for flow with little chance of clogging from debris. In surfacing my driveway and also other drives for friends etc., I was fortunate to have an unlimited supply of creek gravel for the initial cover. My land was mostly red clay and terrible when wet, I put a heavy coat of the creek gravel down and let it "drive-in" for awhile - all I had now was my tractor, no heavy equip. to pack good. After some rains and alot of driving and boxblading and adding gravel here & there where it sunk more, I finally got a stabilized driveway. When building drives for other people that wanted nice #57 gravel topcoat, I would first sell them the creek gravel cheap, let them drive on it a month or so and add any as necessary along the way until it stabilized, then I would tell them to get their pretty gravel and I'd spread it and it would stay put. My driveway finally got so good that I only had to boxblade it once or twice a year up the hill - can't stop the rain!! Anyway, maybe you can get a couple ideas out of all of that, I'm sure your situation is different and maybe you have access to heavy equip. for the whole job, maybe not. It sure pays to have someone well experienced to get your basic grade and ditching started, using a transit etc., saves alot of grief and reworking later. Even if they just rough it in and you do the dressing with your tractor like I did. Good luck on your project !!
MMILLER
Bronze Member
I don't know about leaving the grass in the middle. It will be harder to add material and maintain a good crown for water drainage. When I built my road i had all topsoil removed. Then I had a thin coat of large flat stone put on (4rr around here) ran that in for six month's then added 3 - 4" of 2rc (1 "to 2" stone with fines) this packs nice and hols up real well.
Egon
Epic Contributor
Suggestions for driveway:
Obtain all code requirements as already noted.
Stake out proposed location. Don't have to survey for this.
Consider drainage area that will affect driveway.
Estimate location and size of culverts
stake out the shoulders or the outside ditch lines. At this point some levels may be required. This depends on how well your eye works or if there are critical spec. grades.
Remove all topsoil and forgo the grass center strip. It will only cause problems.
dig ditches for drainage and culverts. At this point you may be able to cut and fill as required for grade. Also pack culvert base and place culverts.
Try and build up a bit so road is highest point. You may have to establish a borrow pit for extra material. Also try and use a sheepfoot type packer if the soil is clay. Try and keep layers of clay to two to three inches when packing.
Finish grade the road with a crown.
Use well graded crushed gravel [ lots of fractured surfaces ] to cover. If base is good try a two inch lift. This can be rolled with a rubber tired packer, vibratory steel drum or tractor wheels. Make sure the camber is maintained.
After a months time reevaluate the need for more gravel.
Do not use pit run gravel. [rocks that have not been fractured ] Pit run acts like marbles and is impossible to pack.
For building the road equipment that may get you by.
tractor - loader - rear blade with some guage wheels or some means of being able to maintain a camber. Small rented sheepsfoot packer. Adjust the water in the packer so the tractor can pull it easilly.
Make extensive use of the rear blade to move windrows of material back and forth. This will help give a smooth grade, perhaps break up material. It's best if you can have the sheepfoot packer working in conjunction. Moisture content of clay is also critical for good density. No, you don't have to do proctor tests. It's packed when the sheepsfoot walke out.
A hand level would also be handy.
For the proper job time and equipment up front will save many dollars down the road.
Happy building! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Egon /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Obtain all code requirements as already noted.
Stake out proposed location. Don't have to survey for this.
Consider drainage area that will affect driveway.
Estimate location and size of culverts
stake out the shoulders or the outside ditch lines. At this point some levels may be required. This depends on how well your eye works or if there are critical spec. grades.
Remove all topsoil and forgo the grass center strip. It will only cause problems.
dig ditches for drainage and culverts. At this point you may be able to cut and fill as required for grade. Also pack culvert base and place culverts.
Try and build up a bit so road is highest point. You may have to establish a borrow pit for extra material. Also try and use a sheepfoot type packer if the soil is clay. Try and keep layers of clay to two to three inches when packing.
Finish grade the road with a crown.
Use well graded crushed gravel [ lots of fractured surfaces ] to cover. If base is good try a two inch lift. This can be rolled with a rubber tired packer, vibratory steel drum or tractor wheels. Make sure the camber is maintained.
After a months time reevaluate the need for more gravel.
Do not use pit run gravel. [rocks that have not been fractured ] Pit run acts like marbles and is impossible to pack.
For building the road equipment that may get you by.
tractor - loader - rear blade with some guage wheels or some means of being able to maintain a camber. Small rented sheepsfoot packer. Adjust the water in the packer so the tractor can pull it easilly.
Make extensive use of the rear blade to move windrows of material back and forth. This will help give a smooth grade, perhaps break up material. It's best if you can have the sheepfoot packer working in conjunction. Moisture content of clay is also critical for good density. No, you don't have to do proctor tests. It's packed when the sheepsfoot walke out.
A hand level would also be handy.
For the proper job time and equipment up front will save many dollars down the road.
Happy building! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Egon /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
unreconstructed
Platinum Member
I responded to the post about the grass in the middle--my "rut" method is obviously extremely rudimentary after reading the other posts. Keep in mind that my place is essentially in the desert--at the edge of the Texas Hill country--with about 25 inches of rain a year. The ground for my road is rock mixed with black dirt which is slicker that owl you know what when wet. Even after a five inch rain--which is huge out here--a vehicle does not bury up--it just slides on the top soil. So a deep base for passenger vehicles and light trucks is not necessary for residential use. If the road had a lot of traffic, then obviously my rut method wouldn't work.
I have about 3/4 mile of road down to an old deer blind that is rutted pretty deep that I am going place a light base of 1 " crushed rock and just use caliche for the rest. I think for what I am going it will work fine.
Anyhow, the grass in the middle probably not feasible for you fellas who get so much rain and have deep soils.
I have about 3/4 mile of road down to an old deer blind that is rutted pretty deep that I am going place a light base of 1 " crushed rock and just use caliche for the rest. I think for what I am going it will work fine.
Anyhow, the grass in the middle probably not feasible for you fellas who get so much rain and have deep soils.