Looking for tips on how to deal with frozen gravel piles

[Bullwinkle123]

So I had a big driveway washout. Ordered a truck of 1.5" crushed with fines. Not high quality stuff, the fines were more like moist dirt. Anyway, it was warm enough when delivered but I knew cold weather (as in, in the teens) was coming the next night. Did what I could.

Two days later I resumed work, but the pile was frozen solid to a depth of at least 8 inches. For a long while I could barely get any gravel off the pile. LA1065 loader meets immovable object. Being mindful of not breaking my hydraulic cylinders, I tried various maneuvers to dislodge material. Also tried scraping with the loader, top down, bottom up, back to front, front to back, you name it.

Of course even when I got a chunk off the pile, it was like a piece of cement. I would use the bucket edge to slice down into it and split it up, or run over it with my tires. More dubious solutions.

If there's secrets I should know about dealing with frozen gravel I would love to hear it. I don't consider my work a success by any means and I have half a pile left I'd like to access, preferably before spring. Ideally tips that use the bucket since my forks are in a hard to reach place while snow is on the ground. Maybe forks are the way to go, to loosen up the pile first. I'm guessing they're less likely to balk with more pressure on smaller areas.

 

[i7win7]

Sprinkle a couple bags of ice melt on it -15 or better, use it in the next day or two, won't hurt driveway

 

[crashz]

Would have been better to cover the pile first after you were done, but if you use some 6mil black poly sheeting over the top, some of the warmer sunny days should warm it up a bit. Once warmed in the sun, use an insulating cover (old blankets, hay, ideally concrete blankets) at night. A couple of warm days and you'll probably break into OK.

Once the pile dries out, and you still have more, cover it. Keeping it dry will help your cause.

 

[Jstpssng]

I'm not sure where you are on the snow line of tomorrow's storm but rain might loosen it up a bit.
Crazy as it sounds, a blanket of snow can do an even better job of taking the frost out. It creates an insulating blanket, and the warmer material underneath will warm the frost.

 

[MossRoad]

Do you have teeth on your bucket?

 

[Peter 315]

Do you have forks try using them to break through the crust on the pile then use your bucket....

 

[fruitcakesa]

So I had a big driveway washout. Ordered a truck of 1.5" crushed with fines. Not high quality stuff, the fines were more like moist dirt. Anyway, it was warm enough when delivered but I knew cold weather (as in, in the teens) was coming the next night. Did what I could.

Two days later I resumed work, but the pile was frozen solid to a depth of at least 8 inches. For a long while I could barely get any gravel off the pile. LA1065 loader meets immovable object. Being mindful of not breaking my hydraulic cylinders, I tried various maneuvers to dislodge material. Also tried scraping with the loader, top down, bottom up, back to front, front to back, you name it.

Of course even when I got a chunk off the pile, it was like a piece of cement. I would use the bucket edge to slice down into it and split it up, or run over it with my tires. More dubious solutions.

If there's secrets I should know about dealing with frozen gravel I would love to hear it. I don't consider my work a success by any means and I have half a pile left I'd like to access, preferably before spring. Ideally tips that use the bucket since my forks are in a hard to reach place while snow is on the ground. Maybe forks are the way to go, to loosen up the pile first. I'm guessing they're less likely to balk with more pressure on smaller areas.

Ah Bullwinkle, the joys of winter in Vermont...from 40 inch snowfalls to rain washed out driveways in 3 days, you gotta love it

 

[Thomas]

You maybe better of getting another load than work it quickly use the other pile for back up.

 

[Bullwinkle123]

Do you have teeth on your bucket?

Interesting, no, I don't. I have a heavy duty bucket with a replaceable blade, I'll have to check and see if they have a toothed blade alternative. I don't particularly want a ratchet rake though.

 

[Bullwinkle123]

Ah Bullwinkle, the joys of winter in Vermont...from 40 inch snowfalls to rain washed out driveways in 3 days, you gotta love it

Yup, caught the snow last night, won't be worrying about that pile for a while. It wasn't even in the forecast two days earlier. _Tonight_ was, and still is, the night we're supposed to get snow, so looks like it'll be a two-fer.