Driveway trailer ruts

[kj3]

When I want to build a good road I put down a base of 1-3 rock and top with crusher run. If the ground is already pretty solid I just dump crusher run or clean 1 down.

Alright, the consensus so far seems to be a load of large gravel, the existing couple of inches was probably 3/4 - 1" range with a bit more we added on top some years ago. You can't tell because so much just mashed in.. Under that the soil is mostly clay, for whatever that is worth. I'm going to look at leveling the area by filing in the ruts then dropping some 3" gravel on top. Add a layer of finer gravel on top of that. I have seen some ads for road millings and I've been impressed where the road crew used that for the new culvert installed a couple of years ago. That stuff packed in great.

I'm hoping about 4" total will do it, not opposed to spending a bit more but I'm guessing this 20x20' area can all be done for $400-600 total. Still wondering if a fabric would be good to lay down before the load of big gravel.

Thanks guys. Still interested if someone else pipes up with experience but I think PandD spoke with a perfect example, hard to beat a school bus for comparison. How thick did you pour on the 3" gravel?

 

[3Ts]

Haven't y'all ever heard advice that say's "when you find yourself in a hole,stop digging"? I believe that applies here. It is universally agreed that present rock is too large and need's airspace filled with smaller material. Digging out present rock just stir's up loose soil and mixes dirt with existing rock. Next time it rains, all that dirt turn's to mud and sinks. No need to spend time digging,put a layer of pea gravel on top of what's there to fill gaps,put a layer of fines over that to fill gaps in pea gravel and finish off with material that set's up to shed water. Collectivly,those layers will raise pad above grade.

No, No, No. Don't use pea gravel or any kind of rounded rock for a driving surface. It's like driving on marbles. I put down 4" of river gravel for a parking pad one time because that was all i could get. I got my car on it, but it wasn't coming off. I could either call a tow truck or start shoveling. Only use crushed stone or crushed concrete that will lock together.

 

[jaxs]

No, No, No. Don't use pea gravel or any kind of rounded rock for a driving surface. It's like driving on marbles. I put down 4" of river gravel for a parking pad one time because that was all i could get. I got my car on it, but it wasn't coming off. I could either call a tow truck or start shoveling. Only use crushed stone or crushed concrete that will lock together.

The idea is to have pea gravel work it's way down through the large stuff to fill gaps. You omitted those two words when you highlighted what I said.

 

[Egon]

Level off what you got there. It doesn’t have any fines so it will not pack. Properly. Then add three quarters or half inch crushed gravel that is well graded and compact. Add till you get the firmness you desire. Then you can add the concrete tire pads.

 

[repete]

I will never again put down large crushed rock on a driveway that will be used for cars. I fought those big spikes coming up through the small stuff for a number of years and cost me a lot of tires. If it is really muddy use road fabric under 1 1/4 minus and then 5/8 minus over that.

A crown and drainage is the key to a successful road maintenance program. If you are building it through a swamp then there is no rock that will likely save you. Water is the enemy of roads.

 

[crazyal]

If you want to fix the problem fabric is the way to go. Otherwise you will be dealing with this again in a few years. I've learned it the hard way. Not sure if you get frost down there but the ground freezing will compound the problem.

 

[kj3]

If you want to fix the problem fabric is the way to go. Otherwise you will be dealing with this again in a few years. I've learned it the hard way. Not sure if you get frost down there but the ground freezing will compound the problem.

Yes, we get freezing around here. So a couple of people have recommended some road fabric. I should ask what type you have used? This is a new direction.

 

[BackRoad]

Yeah...road fabric...I researched this previously when folks suggested using it. Although could not determine what they were specifically recommending or where they sourced it from.

There is fabric listed on Amazon, but what I saw didn't seem reasonably heavy for driveway use...and the other extreme was commercial "big rolls $$$" with a few hundred just for delivery costs.

Always wondered what people on TBN have purchased and used successfully...

 

[Rebeldad1]

I'm going to look at leveling the area by filing in the ruts then dropping some 3" gravel on top.

Just fill it in with the 3" as well. isnt the point to add something in the ruts to support the weight?
After its leveled out the way you want..... order some 1 1/4 crush to top it with. when the truck arrives have the driver run back and forth over the 3" a few times to pound it down then add the 1 1/4" over the top.
For me.... I would finish it off with a layer of dirt or organic fines to mash in between the 1 1/4" crush. makes a nice surface and aids in water runoff. and yes no matter what you do you need to maintain it.

 

[cmyoung2]

I would use the fabric, we can buy it at our local farm supply, I think the last I bought was around $2/ft for 15' wide. Remove the gravel you have, put down the cloth, cover with 6-8" of packable gravel. Farms will often use this in high livestock traffic areas on steep slopes, I just put in about 360' through a wet/slick area and up a slope for a farm road. Seems to be holding up well.
The cloth keeps the gravel from disappearing in the mud/clay.