Advice on a farm road

   / Advice on a farm road #1  

marhar

Gold Member
Joined
Apr 5, 2013
Messages
411
Location
Denton NC
Tractor
Farm Trac 60
I have a road (about 275 yards) through the woods linking two sets of pasture. The road is down a steep incline that winds through the woods. I have been able to keep the water from the pasture draining into the side ditch but the road itself collects enough water to wash. Years ago I had a shale/clay mix (some call it dirt rock around here) placed on the road. The shale made a good base but overtime it broke down and washed. It broke down under the weight of equipment and the weather. I planned on topping the road with crusher run but the material hauler suggested I use surge gravel. I have a few questions: 1. How easy or hard is it to scrape surge compared to crusher run? I have a 50hp tractor so I am not concerned with the ability of the tractor, I am concerned that every time I scrape the road it will be rough. 2. Crusher run will pack relatively quickly; I assume surge will not pack solid as quickly. Will the cows be reluctant to walk across the surge gravel?




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   / Advice on a farm road #2  
I know different areas have different names for gravel but what is "surge gravel".
 
   / Advice on a farm road #3  
What you call surge will definitely sit in really well. It will be rougher than crush run but in my opinion will last a heck of a lot longer. We have a few dirt roads here that I work that are steep and winding and as soon as I finish grading it and putting a decent crown, I add number 4 crushed limestone. It packs fairly quickly on a fresh graded road. I have tried crush run but the rain just washes fingers in it because it’s so fine. Btw, small cars travel those roads I add number 4 to and cows will walk on it. A guy that lives on one of them crosses his cows a couple times a week.
 
   / Advice on a farm road #4  
Agree with the hauler - put down surge base 4-6" deep and crusher run on top. In the NE we call this 2" or 3" minus which is a mix of stone 3/4" to 3" and you can move and level this out with a normal loader bucket.

Then top this with either 3/4 stone or your crusher run you scraped off first.
 
   / Advice on a farm road #5  
I have a road (about 275 yards) through the woods linking two sets of pasture. The road is down a steep incline that winds through the woods. I have been able to keep the water from the pasture draining into the side ditch but the road itself collects enough water to wash. Years ago I had a shale/clay mix (some call it dirt rock around here) placed on the road. The shale made a good base but overtime it broke down and washed. It broke down under the weight of equipment and the weather. I planned on topping the road with crusher run but the material hauler suggested I use surge gravel. I have a few questions: 1. How easy or hard is it to scrape surge compared to crusher run? I have a 50hp tractor so I am not concerned with the ability of the tractor, I am concerned that every time I scrape the road it will be rough. 2. Crusher run will pack relatively quickly; I assume surge will not pack solid as quickly. Will the cows be reluctant to walk across the surge gravel?




View attachment 728870
what do you drive on it, car, quad, tractor? I don't think I have ever had trouble with cows not walking on 2" rock, but, if I was driving a car down it, I would use something else. This is normally used for base, with a layer of 3/4 inch on top and then crusher run on top of that. I don't like working with gravel of different size because it grades weird.

Best,

ed
 
   / Advice on a farm road #6  
I have a road (about 275 yards) through the woods linking two sets of pasture. The road is down a steep incline that winds through the woods. I have been able to keep the water from the pasture draining into the side ditch but the road itself collects enough water to wash. Years ago I had a shale/clay mix (some call it dirt rock around here) placed on the road. The shale made a good base but overtime it broke down and washed. It broke down under the weight of equipment and the weather. I planned on topping the road with crusher run but the material hauler suggested I use surge gravel. I have a few questions: 1. How easy or hard is it to scrape surge compared to crusher run? I have a 50hp tractor so I am not concerned with the ability of the tractor, I am concerned that every time I scrape the road it will be rough. 2. Crusher run will pack relatively quickly; I assume surge will not pack solid as quickly. Will the cows be reluctant to walk across the surge gravel?




View attachment 728870
The first thing that you need to do before topping with any kind of gravel is to shape the road and put drainage into the road. Google “rolling dips.” By building these into the road, it will drain and you won’t have washing. Then you can top it with gravel. Usually a small dozer is used to cut rolling dips into the road, but a good heavy blade on a utility tractor might also work.
 
   / Advice on a farm road
  • Thread Starter
#7  
what do you drive on it, car, quad, tractor? I don't think I have ever had trouble with cows not walking on 2" rock, but, if I was driving a car down it, I would use something else. This is normally used for base, with a layer of 3/4 inch on top and then crusher run on top of that. I don't like working with gravel of different size because it grades weird.

Best,

ed
Thank you Ed. I drive a truck with off road tires and a tractor. No cars.
 
   / Advice on a farm road #8  
Thank you Ed. I drive a truck with off road tires and a tractor. No cars.
Yea sure, and the poster above was correct, get the water off, water bars can help, always hard to say without looking at it. Even pictures I have trouble telling grade.

But to your question, if only truck and cattle, I would give it a go, it will certainly out last crusher run, and dry quicker. Run a two foot path down the middle of crusher run if the cows complain:)

Best,

ed
 
   / Advice on a farm road #9  
I have the equivalent of railroad ballast under many parts of my 1/4 mile long driveway.
One year we had a flood, it washed 3-8" rocks into a neighbors field,, he was happy for me to take them.

So, my approach is to put the biggest thing you feel that you can afford, and can spread, down first.

After it is down, you can top it with "crusher run" type material.
If the driveway is level, you can put some gravel on top of that.

I had over 160 18 wheelers go up and down my driveway during the wettest spring ever recorded here.
The trucks ALL weighed over 80,000 pounds, they were not allowed on the interstate when loaded.
I had ZERO damage to my driveway.

In this pic, the trucks ran on a brand new piece of road, only using the railroad ballast.
The road held up, almost unbelievably well,,

IXTZm5S.jpg


This truck was on my existing driveway.

DbuSD8E.jpg


Heck, EVERYTHING came up my driveway,,

NdUu0ml.jpg


M7JeImT.jpg
 
   / Advice on a farm road #10  
I have the equivalent of railroad ballast under many parts of my 1/4 mile long driveway.
One year we had a flood, it washed 3-8" rocks into a neighbors field,, he was happy for me to take them.

So, my approach is to put the biggest thing you feel that you can afford, and can spread, down first.

After it is down, you can top it with "crusher run" type material.
If the driveway is level, you can put some gravel on top of that.

I had over 160 18 wheelers go up and down my driveway during the wettest spring ever recorded here.
The trucks ALL weighed over 80,000 pounds, they were not allowed on the interstate when loaded.
I had ZERO damage to my driveway.

In this pic, the trucks ran on a brand new piece of road, only using the railroad ballast.
The road held up, almost unbelievably well,,

IXTZm5S.jpg


This truck was on my existing driveway.

DbuSD8E.jpg


Heck, EVERYTHING came up my driveway,,

NdUu0ml.jpg


M7JeImT.jpg
Man that will make a great base, I had a few concrete trucks while we were building that helped. You should be set for life:)
 
 
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