Base condition prior to installing road fabric

LarryRB · May 23, 2005

one time running the highway dpt and it was this exact size/type rock that caused us endless aggravation,.. If possible, pull as many rocks as you can... Place all of them in the soft area that you are digging out provided this area is on the side of the new drive, fill the holes with gravel that you can scrape up around your new drive,, Then procede to drive back and forth numerous times to help compact,, Wait for 2 weeks or so, then fabric then fill with 2"rock base and gravel.., there are as many ways to attack this as our new england weather changes. In either case, pull out as many of those rocks, small boulders as you can before proceding... You will deal with them over and over especially after the second winter/heave season.

ByronBob · May 23, 2005

When my driveway was built the topsoil was removed and it rained for days. Filled full of water. The fabric was laid down in the low spots and then the gravel on top of it.

First was 3 inch gable stone, then 2 inch crusher followed by 1 inch limestone. Have had no problems with it to this day.

The fabric as I was told helps the water seep out and the soil from coming up.

ByronBob · May 23, 2005

I hummed and hawed for a while about putting a culvert pipe under the driveway. I will do this soon but if you can you might want to so the wet area has the water go elsewhere if possible.

jpm · May 23, 2005

jim my drive looked like this when i started

jpm · May 23, 2005

then after lots of bank run with bowling ball stones and a colvert it
dryed out and firmed up on the left side you can see the trench i
dug and filled w 2-3 chrush stone

jpm · May 23, 2005

this is a clearer pic of the trench. To the left runs a leg of the drive
that the water runs down and over .This part has the fabric under
and holds up well

JimMorrissey · May 23, 2005

Bob,

Yes, the fabric is good for separation, but it is also critical when acting like a drum.....in that in order for the road base to move under pressure the entire section of fabric either has to stretch or the entire length has to move itself. If you use good fabric, it will not stretch and will likely not move either. As long as the sections are stapled together or sewn or have big overlaps. The grip from the crushed gravel puts tremendous resisting forces on the fabric and won't let it move (within reason). I also like the fact that it keeps the layers from commingling, as you said.

I looked at some sales liteature today and found out that there are many different grades and specifications of road fabric. I though it was all pretty much the same. NOT THE CASE. There are vast differences in the quality of fabrics. Price is proportional to quality. Some of the samples I saw looked like Kevlar.....amazing woven nylon fibers. I don't even want to know what a 300' roll costs.