driveway edge repair

[mpowrd]

I just had a small landside take out some of the bedding at the edge of my driveway. A section of driveway about 20 feet long now has a gap below it about 1 foot high and 2 feet wide (going into the driveway). It looks like there's still good bed material directly under the asphalt.

Until I can get in there and figure out what kind of retaining wall and fill I'll need longer term, I want to support the edge of the driveway to prevent the asphalt from cracking and to help take some of the traffic load. Right now I can detour to the uphill side enought to avoid the voided area, but sooner or later the propane truck needs to get up there.

I read that I could use sand bags filled with a sand and cement mixture that could be stacked in the void dry, then wet down so they harded up. Do you think I could get the same result stacking paper sacks of concrete mix or do I need the porosity of the burlap sand bags to get them to bond?

Thanks for the advise.

 

[CurlyDave]

You are only looking at 40 cubic feet of material, about 1.5 yards.

I would think about what an architect would call "lean concrete" to fill it. About a 3 sack mix. This would be cheaper, easier to set, and faster both to set and to cure than sacks of concrete.

It is not nearly as strong as concrete, so it can be removed later for a better fix, but if it breaks up, the pieces all fit together and it still has some holding power.

* * * * *

I have both seen and read about paper sacks of pre-mixed concrete being stacked as rip-rap. The sacks are then held together with short pieces of rebar driven through them. The rebar and the fact that the sacks slump together holds them pretty well, especially after they have weathered for a few years.

The big advantage here is that the sacks can be individually carried into some pretty steep areas, and no forming is needed.

My back aches just thinking about this, and removal for a permanent fix is going to be lots of fun.

* * * * * *

You have good access to the washout. Check the cost of a concrete buggy full of lean concrete. Build or dig a primitive form and you will be far ahead of the sacks.

 

[mpowrd]

Thanks for the tips.

I might use a combination of sacks with rebar in the hard-to-reach area under the lip, then put a form down and pour from a buggy trailer on the outside.

I need to measure the actual size and see what the base looks like today. I'll try and post a pic or two later.

 

[ultrarunner]

Public works would fill burlap sacks with concrete and stack... some of the ones I know are 45 years old and still on job.

 

[crbr]

yes.....

 

[mpowrd]

Update:
Measured the void below the driveway edge and it's larger than I originally estimated. About 35 feet long, cuts in about 24 inches, and is 24-32 inches high.

I'm attaching some pictures of the problem area.

A friend locally that does tree and equipment work for me reckons that it might be cheapest to put up some forms and get a concrete truck and a pump in there so we could direct the concrete into the spaces with minimum effort.

 

[irvingj]

Have you considered some sort of stabilizing elements --maybe metal rods?-- pounded down into the ground prior to adding fill or concrete?

That's a pretty steep slope there; I'd be worried that anything placed under the road might be tempted to just roll out and down the hill with a little encouragement....

I notice that tree there seems to be doing a pretty good job of holding things in place on that end of the problem area.

 

[teg]

...so we could direct the concrete into the spaces with minimum effort...

What will keep the concrete from siding down the hill, too?

 

[beenthere]

I agree with teg, and looks like stabilizing that slope below the drive is needed first.

Has the appearance that water came across the drive and washe/eroded the hillside away. Is that a possibility?

 

[Egon]

As per the last two comments; before doing anything figure out what must be done to rebuild the side slope, stabilize it, Get drainage under control and resurface the road.

Hate to say it but it may be a little bigger/costlier project than initially thought if it gets a proper fix.

Forget the concrete and remedial action as that money spent will be lost. The pavement in that area will also be lost when rebuilding starts.