Gravel Driveway Re-hab

[gordon]

Which one do you want? A tonnage calculator http://www.rmcpacific.com/toolbox/tonnage.htm

An aggreate calculator http://www.graniterock.com/calcagg.htm

Here is one on weights and measures http://www.imac.ca/technofocus/weights.htm

Here is a good link on building acess roads in the forest but the basics are the same reguardless might be worth taking a look at. http://www.na.fs.fed.us/spfo/pubs/stewardship/accessroads/accessroads.htm

Remember that tonnage is going to vary according to the moisture content of the rock as well. Also the drainage and the base are the key factors to any road. Start with a good base and go from there. Ok I'll shut up for now./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Gordon

 

[Muhammad]

Excellent links, Gordon... Thanks!

 

[Harv]

<font color=blue>how much is quite a bit?</font color=blue>

Actually, that was a dumb way to put it, wasn't it? "Quite a bit" could mean anything, depending on if you're putting it in your fishbowl or 5 miles of wide road. /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif

The "stretch" is only about a hundred feet long, and I won't know the actual depth until I do a little excavating. I guess I'll wind up using one of Gordon's calculators when I have some real dimensions.

<font color=blue>I paid about $6.50 per ton</font color=blue>

That's definitely in the "reasonable" price range. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

<font color=blue>There could of course be sources of free fill in your area that might work</font color=blue>

It's been tough to establish connections with the "right" people, since I don't actually live up there, but that's a good idea. I'll see what I can find out.

Thanks, Muhammad -- you done good. You get a <font color=red>B+</font color=red>. The only points you lost were for saying the road looked fine to you. /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

 

[Muhammad]

<font color=blue>You get a B+.</font color=blue>

Ouch Harv, you're a tough one to please! /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

<font color=blue>The only points you lost were for saying the road looked fine to you.</font color=blue>

Well, what did you get 4WD for now, anyway??? /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

(Don't listen to that; I think that advice will evenutally get you stick in that mess...)

You should be able to get that area under control since it is reasonable in size, but if it stays that wet, I'd be interested to see photos of the excavation... might be interesting. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[WillingtonPizza]

I pitched my driveway in one direction, got rid of the crown. This is by far the best thing I did to it, we had a terrible time keeping it up before. Now the majority of the water is on one side and it is extremly easy to smooth out and plowing does not harm it at all. Last year I went to a Chritmass tree farm that had a road going up a very very steep hill. The farmer had and interesting way of diverting the water quickly. He also pitched the road to one side and he assembled treches with pressure treated wood (2 2 X 6s with a 2 X 4 in between), wich he placed at about 45 degrees. He said the water ran thru them so quickly that he rarely had to clean them and because of the angly the snow plow just ran over them with no damage. An interesting idea that I was going to try if I continued to have problems, wich I am not.

 

[MarkV]

Bill, looks like you have a great place and a plan to take care of your road problem. I guess it all depends on the soil conditions, but I am wondering if cutting ditches that terminate to a culvert would not work better. This would keep a lot more water off the road and keep the gravel from moving to the low side of the drive. Guess I figure even with no crown and a good pitch, tires are going to pack minor ruts along the road that become water routes lower that the less packed gravel on the sides. Just a thought.

MarkV

 

[WVBill]

Thanks to all for your comments. I should have said in the first post that the "plan" I came up with is the result of studying and gleaning info from other threads and interpreting them for my situation - so thanks even in advance of these thanks.

Dan - good thought on running the ripper teeth over the current drive. I'll do that before I grade its slope.

Randy - I've seen that Grademaster attachment in other threads and looks interesting but as I recall, the price was way too steep unless you do roads for a living.

Kevin - I'd planned to do a semi-culvert/french ditch. The driveway isn't elevated enough for there to be enough room for even an 8" culvert (don't know if they even come that small).

MarkV - Water running down the compacted tire tracks is one of my big problems right now. At the top end of the driveway is a parking/turn-about area (it doesn't show up in the picture very well). Water collects in the gravel in this area and runs down the tire tracks. That is the purpose of the "french drain" just below that area - to intercept the water and pitch it off into the "ditch" that will run alongside the driveway. At the low point of the driveway another "french drain/culvert" would pick up the water and run it under the driveway to go off the property. You wrote "I am wondering if cutting ditches that terminate to a culvert would not work better." Is my explanation more what you were thinking?

 

[Jag]

Harv, the road looks alot like a bunch of places down in my field... Luckly it is this way only about 3 months a year, and at a time when I do not really need to be working there... On some places I just live with it for the time. Other places are graded to have at least less water standing, and to deal with.. In places like you have shown I have had good luck with bring in rock and working it down in. As you said the best would to remove the muck and put down you subsoil fabric then start with the rock.. I would blade it out, fabric and rock.. Start with a load of three inch rock this will cost about 20-30% more than the mix. For the top course we use SB-2 (sub-base #2) it is the state highway standard for subbase on paved roads. It is a mix that will go from about 2-1-1/2 inch all the way down to very fine and will work down and pack into a very good ware course. Your spot looks to be small depending on how much traffic and load I would most likely just dump a load of SB2 and work it in. Just put a load on a friend's (yes I do have some friends) driveway for where the bottom fell out with all our recent rain and snow. It cost $150 delivered. Backed bladed the ruts to even them out. They dumped the load at the bottem end and I pulled it up the drive with a back blade, about 100'... The drive came out very good with working the gravel in this way. Wish I had a before and after picture for you.

 

[Harv]

<font color=blue>Wish I had a before and after picture for you.</font color=blue>

Me too, Jag. Sounds like something I'd like to see. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Thanks for the info, nonetheless. I'm saving it in my "muddy road" files.

From what I've been told in the past, my main problem will be drainage. This area is at the mercy of mountain snowmelt, which means it can stay mushy for up to 6 months or more. My plan at the moment is to dig out the road extra wide, and when I fill it back in I will leave open channels on either side that will terminate in an existing water channel that the road crosses (culvert #1).

I appreciate your tips on the different types of rock, 'cuz that's where I'm most ignorant (one of many areas, unfortunately /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif).

 

[jfakerj]

Gordon

Great links. I saved them. I think they'll come in real handy and save time on my building project. Doing the math is a pain even if you know all the numbers, which I don't. Thanks

Jerry