Another road thread.. 25 degree sugar sand hill, how to make a tractor path?

[jgibbens]

I would like to make a tractor path down a sugar sand hill, but I'm not sure how to go about it. The sand under the thin topsoil is clean enough to shovel into a cement mixer. Most of the slope is 20 degrees and it's up to 25 degrees in spots. There is a smaller hill on the property with the same 20 degree slope and my little Kubota BX25D struggles to get enough traction to climb it. It isn't going to make it on the larger hill unless there is some kind of improvement over the plain sand or I use a winch every time.

Ideas so far..

Rhino snot. Easy enough to apply. The manufacturer recommends that it be tilled in and plate compacted. I have a water filed drum roller. would that be enough compaction? Can I expect to get enough traction on the finished surface? How long will it be good for?

Concrete washout base. Same traction and compaction questions and there's a lake at the bottom of the hill. How hazardous is the stuff?

Road mix or crushed concrete base. Traction?

Till portland cement into the sand to make a soil cement. Traction? Compaction? How to evenly apply without making a muddy or dusty mess?

Remeshed concrete with crushed rock or recycled concrete aggregate. expensive, labor intensive and I'm worried about getting enough compaction to keep it supported.

What would you do?

 

[bcp]

Can you avoid the problem instead of solving the problem?

Can you go around? Does the tractor have to go there? Could an ATV/RTV go instead?

The old way:

US 80 Side Trips: The Plank Road and Sand Hills

Bruce

 

[jgibbens]

I'd like to get the tractor down there to rough mow, move firewood around and set up a beach/camping area. The plank road is a good idea. Wonder if antiskid material would help.

 

[CalG]

Clay

every other additive will just crumble,

 

[woodlandfarms]

I have not help here (other than the premade road or something military grade) but every sand dune I have ever seen changes day by day. I look at those old pictures of the 80 and it is clear that the sand would just bury the road if not maintained / moved.

 

[jgibbens]

The sand shifts, but there is a little bit of topsoil so it doesn't act like a dune.

 

[MossRoad]

We have very steep sandy soil. The ares was called Ginger Hill due to the ginger sand that the wagons would get stuck in. I put a road in about 25 years ago. We were fortunate that there was a pocket of gravel on the property right where the HWY department mandated we cut in the road from the HWY. So, I dug a 12" trench 10' wide and about 400' long where I wanted the road. I laid in 6" of gravel and then I purchased several tri-axle dump truck loads of slag from the steel mills and topped the gravel with 6" of slag.

The sand drains exceptionally well. The gravel makes a good base, but gravel on a road is bad, because its round and doesn't lock together. When tires go over it, it pushes out to the sides. The slag from the steel mill is very similar to lava rock. Its about 1.5" down to 1/4" in size, very rough, jagged edges and holes, and it locks together exceptionally well. Its also a nice grey color. My father used it on his driveway back in the 60's. See if its available in your area.

 

[MossRoad]

Here's a handy tool for determining the soil types on your property....

Web Soil Survey - Home

 

[jgibbens]

Thanks for the slag idea. I'd have to check on that to see if there is any available. I'd expect not because we don't have any local steel mills. I'm also concerned about getting enough traction on rounded gravel.

 

[Streetcar]

I assume sugar sand is a uniform rounded sand.
If that is correct ,you could excavate trench in sand and fill with crushed gravel
The sand would drain water and the crushed gravel would interlock for traction and bearing of vehicles