Compacting gravel driveway

[cbosworth]

I'm getting crashed stone delivered and spread on my old gravel driveway. I will crown and level it. Then a guy with vibrating roller will come over and compact it. Would it be a good idea to have stone dust spread on top before compacting? Please share your experience/ideas/suggestions...

My driveway is 1/2 miles. After its laid, Gravel sinks and disappears when its wet and driven on. I had deep ditches built with tin horns/culverts installed in the low areas. Then 1 1/2” crusher run gravel was laid 5-6” deep with a belly dump truck. I spread it with my tractor 7ft angle blade. Crusher run has the fines mixed in. When it rains, it packs and locks in.
Then 3” rock was laid and spread.
Then 1/2” crusher tun again was laid and spread.
Near the house pea gravel was laid and spread for easy walking

The road gravel must be higher than the wster in the ditch during a rain, the the gravel sinks. Deep bar ditches is key.

 

[wploetz]

We have always used unwashed crusher run#1 limestone but you can get it in granite, slate and in different sizes. Already has stone fines in it and it packs like concrete.

 

[Gord Baker]

I'm getting crashed stone delivered and spread on my old gravel driveway. I will crown and level it. Then a guy with vibrating roller will come over and compact it. Would it be a good idea to have stone dust spread on top before compacting? Please share your experience/ideas/suggestions...

Dig up and Fill any Potholes/low spots first. Spread your Crushed Stone and don't worry too much about the Crown. Put down the Stone Dust (1/2" Crusher Run) before final vibrating. I would suggest doing the final compacting after a rain.

 

[renoel]

As others have suggested, spread/compact the crushed stone, then spread/compact stone dust or fines. Another option is spread/compact asphalt millings rather than stone dust/fines. My neighbor did the latter for a large area over which he runs a variety of heavy equipment and it's remained solid, plus no dust issues.

 

[scott_vt]

Good Morning Alex,
Last year I redid our 800ft DW. I have one steep section that was always a problem with a spring coming out of the bank especially during our wet season. So prior to putting down surepack or crushed limestone I put in a 100 ft long diagonal trench with 1 1/2" crushed stone and drain pipe. That got rid of all my excess water ! Then I had a number of triaxle loads of the crushed limestone with fines brought in and spread, crowned it and had it rolled with a vibratory roller. It has held up amazingly well considering the large amounts of rain we have had !Driveway Drainage Project

 

[joea99]

I'm getting crashed stone delivered and spread on my old gravel driveway. I will crown and level it. Then a guy with vibrating roller will come over and compact it. Would it be a good idea to have stone dust spread on top before compacting? Please share your experience/ideas/suggestions...

If you're getting the "stone" that already has sufficient fines in it (called "item 4" or 2A by some around here), then adding more stone dust on top will not help compacting at all. It's the fines mixed in with the stones that holds things together.

It might give you a smoother looking finish, but, seems to me whatever is not locked in between the stones will soon wash off.

Just my opinion.

 

[AnotherBueller]

Wet gravel is heavy. Gravel is also delivered by ton weight. When you buy wet gravel you are also buying water at the price charged for gravel.

All true, but around here I pay by the trip (load). 2 Cu Yds delivered cost me the same as 3 yds, so the weight of the water doesn't cost me any more and I always use 1 1/2" minus (fines) lime stone (with my slope, anything smaller washes with any kind of rain). Price of the stone at the quarry is negligible compared to the cost of hauling.
Having said that, dry seems to work a little easier. So I order when I'm able to do the work and when I've got the driveway looking the way I want it I put the sprinkler on it for a hour and then roll it. It's just like floating concrete, you get a better finish and it doesn't seem to wash away nearly as much.

 

[eddieirvine]

I would have it delivered no matter how they bring it Not sure if you can tell them to bring it dry? Any way spread it all out the best you can bucket angled back and running in reverse is how i do it, Then wet it all down good and do your compacting. How do you do compacting with your tractor ?

 

[AnotherBueller]

I always buy a product called road base. It’s a mix of gravel, small gravel and crusher fines. This locks the road base together. Otherwise the gravel will move if it doesn’t have fines. Yes I would spread fine crushed rock on top before compacting.

Need to mix the two or a lot if the fines will wash off in the next rain.

 

[aircommuter]

Crushed stone could be many different things. In this part of the Commonwealth we have a product we normally call 2A Modified. I'm not sure if this is just a local terminology or common in other locales. It's pretty much anything that passes through a 3/4" screen and includes everything from the 3/4" stone down to dust and often a bit of dirt. It packs very well. As mentioned, moisture is good for getting it packed. It would be difficult to get screenings / dust mixed into stone that doesn't already have it as part of the delivered material.

I've seen people use 2B which is 3/4" clean stone. It's like having a truckload of marbles delivered.

Also known as drain rock. Road base is what you want.