blading wide areas

[RandyK]

This seems like a silly question because there is probably a simple answer but here goes. How do you grade a driveway or road that is very wide? I was taught to angle your blade and pull the material to the center of the road or driveway and then turn the blade around backwards and drag it right across the top spreading the material evenly across the road. This preserves the crown and grades the road at the same time.

How do you do this with a very wide road with a crown? It would take two passes on each side of the road to pull the gravel to the middle, then when you spread it you would have a 6 foot (my blade width) strip down the center and a lot of road with no gravel. I know it seems simple, but every way I think to do it has a downside. One way is to get a wider blade, but even with an 8 foot it wouldn't be wide enough for this road (circle drive around my RV park).

 

[Highbeam]

I would say it depends on what you are starting with. If the road already had a steep cross slope to a tall crown I wouldn't go and try to make it worse. If the road was flat and needed a crown, then I would start on the outside and grade the material towards the center. If trying to fill ruts and potholes I would try and see where the material went and then grade the high spots back into the low spots with an emphasis on creating more crown.

 

[RandyK]

The crown is a bit weak and I want to continue to build it up or at the least keep it the same. I may just be making it to complicated. Maybe I should just go try it, but I'm afraid both sides of the road will not have enough gravel and will be muddy. RV'ers are picky (rightfully so) and if it looks muddy or has potholes they'll just keep on going.

 

[beenthere]

Get the local grader guy in to do it right. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

But that likely isn't possible, so make many more passes to cut and move the material across to the middle of the drive, then work it back out.

With only a 6' blade you are at a disadvantage right off the bat. It would be like trying to trowel concrete with a spatula. The end results will be a reflection of the size of the tool.

But must work it up first, and when smoothed back out, pack it well with the truck or car. If you have the fines worked in well, it will pack down and hold well.

But I think if you get it all worked to the middle, then a long 12 I beam dragged at an angle will give you some pretty good results, if that is at all possible. Might even try a 12' timber of oak behind the tractor at an angle pulled by chains.

 

[FL_Cracker]

I would make the two angle passes on the outside first. This is where your blade angle will be the greatest. Then you can decrease your blade angle and take more passes. As you go the gravel will be moving to the center but all ofiit won't go. Some will not move at all and some will fall in the low spots that have washed out over time. Once you reach the center you can flip the blade around backwards and smooth down any the piled up in the middle. I would then take my 8' x 8' drag harrow and pull it over the whole area. It won't change the angle but it will smooth out all the ridges and small piles you left behind. You do want your edges crowned but the middle part doesn't need to be as crowned as the edges. All you want to do is keep water from running down the middle of the road and forming ruts.

I not the all time expert on this subject but it has worked well on my roads.