Covered the creek and raised the driveway

[ror105]

In preparing to pave our driveway, I wanted to pipe and cover the small drainage creek to the one side as well as take the sag out of the contour of the driveway. I have been working with a neighbor who has an excavating company and he fit me into his schedule this week. He originally thought we were looking at 18 to 20 loads of slate to get where I wanted to be with overall elevation of the driveway. 42 loads later and I think we got it.

There are a lot of voids in the overall flatness of the yard to eventually get grass planted in there once the blacktop is laid down. Neighbor is also going to bring clay in to tie in the edge of the yard next to the bank. I want to have all material delivered before blacktop is down. I think I will be extremely sensitive to 40-ton triaxles rolling across it when it is new. I am hoping to not have to fill all those voids with $400 a load topsoil. I am thinking I should get clay to fill the voids as well. I am hoping to not have to fill all those voids with $400 a load topsoil.

Any thoughts out there on how best to finish this? Budget is blown at this point so not sure how best to proceed.

Thanks,

Rob

 

[FTG-05]

I need to borrow your equipment!

 

[ror105]

FTG-05, those two pieces and the CAT roller not seen to the right of the pic are all his! I have a good idea I'll be helping to make a payment or two on them when I get the bill!

 

[davrow]

Any thoughts out there on how best to finish this?

My only thought is, that's so much nicer than my road, why do you want to pave it?

 

[RedNeckRacin]

BEAUTIFUL ROAD. If it was not placed in 6-8" lifts and compacted to non movement, I would not get in a big hurry to pave it. Let it settle for some time, I would suggest at least 4 seasons. If it is all Shale, I really would let it compact for a good period. There is alot of void space in that material and it breaks down overtime settling as it does.

 

[boggen]

a lot of fill material! i would also be concerned about settlement. if it was not properly compacted as it was put in. settling issues more so.

the high side were the hill is coming down towards the driveway. does not look there is any sort of "ditch" though picture maybe misleading.

the large "area" were dozer/backhoe is. looks like all water drains across that area. including run off water behind the machinery....

on the bottom side of the drive towards the road were red truck is in picture, looks like there is a pretty good "angle" of rock that was added. and i could see this rock being pushed out from the road as it settles.

on the bottom side of drive (left hand side /bottom in picture), it looks likes the grass is higher than the grass/soil so water runs from the yard onto the driveway.

being up north i would imagine you need to deal with snow/ice. so frost heaving is going to be a concerned. as in if you paved or put in a concrete driveway. "cracks" are more likely to form. more so if not properly compacted before hand. and dealing with water so it runs off driveway, and then ditches to carry the water away.

with both dozer and excavator being tracked units. i am unsure if proper compaction was obtained.

i am no professional. only a bozo dealing with rock/dirt lanes here on the farm. and compaction / settling / water being the major enemy of the driveways / trails / lanes.

 

[ror105]

You guys are reading my mind, that is why I am asking. Had hoped to have it in last October to winter. I wasn't here when he did it but I will ask him if he put it in in lifts.

Looked up the specs on this machine that he rolled it out with. 26000 pounds.

He told me it's ready to be paved but I am nervous about settling.

 

[RedNeckRacin]

View attachment 508144

You guys are reading my mind, that is why I am asking. Had hoped to have it in last October to winter. I wasn't here when he did it but I will ask him if he put it in in lifts.

Looked up the specs on this machine that he rolled it out with. 26000 pounds.

He told me it's ready to be paved but I am nervous about settling.

Doesn't Matter if its an 80,000lb roller, the compaction only travels so deep even with vibration (read no more than a foot). Every contractor says they did it in lifts. I watched one back fill a frac pit in 8' deep lifts and they wondered why there was a wetland there a year later even though they "tracked it in with the 6" :confused3: I'd still wait on it to settle. If you could give it a few years with some heavy traffic would be best. Touching up the surface is a given over that time. Its alot cheaper to spread stone than repair a nice asphalt driveway. Also, don't cheap out and put in 2" of asphalt, that's not enough material unless you are ok with cracking in under 5 years.

 

[ror105]

My oldest son just got home and he watched them finish up the last 10 loads or so. He said each load was spread with the excavator and dozer and then rolled out.

Learning to be patient as I get older.....Leaning toward having it paved next Spring.

Anyone have any thoughts on best methods for getting grass in on the right side? Clay until smooth and then topsoil?

-Rob

 

[smokinmad]

Clay or sub-soil, then 5 or 6" of topsoil. As for the voids in the yard. I'd take that Cat and knock the high spots off into the voids to level the yard. I'm thinkin', if ya can afford BLACKTOP, ya can buy a lil' Grass, Man...Oh wait, not that kind....lol

Lookin' Good, nice place.