Driveway repair and Turnaround expansion

[MinnesotaMorg]

I am looking to expand my turnaround and do some general driveway repair.

I first need to know what tool would be best suited for helping expand the turnaround. Is it possible to use your loader bucket to scrape the topsoil like people do with skid loaders? otherwise should I get a box blade and use that to scrape the soil away? In regards to expansion I'm assuming its fine to simply scrape the soil away from the edge of the existing turnaround and just start building, or do people normally tear up their existing area in order ensure the extension merges in better?

I am very inexperienced with gravel driveways as this is my first, I don't really even know what the current driveway/turnaround is made of, it seems very sandy. I was planning on getting a box blade, then the more I read about maintaining a driveway a LPGS seems like a better choice long term. But if I need the box blade to help expand the turnaround then I guess I have to go that route. I've attached photos of the driveway when its dry, wet, the material, and the current state of the turnaround.

Let me know what you think I should do, I've done some research on driveway construction and it seems (correct me if wrong) that you want to remove at least 6 inches of dirt and build up with layers of larger to smaller rocks, with maybe 1 layer of fabric.

Thanks

 

[fishpick]

Having maintained our drive for years- a box blade is "ok" a landplane is "exceptional" Land planes move material like a box blade - just a lot less quickly - it wont fill up like a box blade - instead it fills some then spills over making things even out.
For digging out the turnaround you certainly can use your loader. A box blade might be easier... but if you can only buy one implement - box blade or land plane... get the land plane... work a little harder wit hte loader to make the turn around - use the loader to fill the turnaround with the base and top... then land plane the drive and turnaround for years to come making it perfect and smooth anytime you want to - with very little effort.

There's my free internet opinion.

 

[JJT]

I've found speed is the enemy with maintaining the driveway with a box scraper. Too fast and you get speed bumps. Slow and steady wins the race. I have 800'+ of driveway and box blade it once a year in the spring. Every few years I'll add 50 tons of crusher run after ripping the heck out of the driveway. I have an 8' rake that might get used when I add material, if I need to windrow material back into the driveway.

 

[gstrom99]

I'm doing something similar. I'm extending the gravel up to the garage, out of picture frame to the right. I JUST had this stone delivered, like 45 mins ago... I asked him for some expert advice. No need for underlayment fabric for this (overkill he said), just spray/kill the grass and use a box blade to pull up 4-5" or so of earth near the door area, then spread the stone with the loader. This may not be enuff stone though.

 

[MinnesotaMorg]

get the land plane... work a little harder wit hte loader to make the turn around

agree, likely the better long term solution. Im glad to know the loader will work well enough to remove the soil

50 tons of crusher

is this a typo? 50 tons seems insane every few years. Ill probably follow a similar maintenance style though, hit it every year after the winter

JUST had this stone delivered

Good luck, how much stone is that? too late now but I'm thinking ill try and get the dirt ripped up before i have the rock delivered, maybe the trucker bros will help me spread it with their gate.

Also I think I have at least a plan thats not completely crazy. Ill use the loader, and just scrape along the edge of the current turn around. About the material though, should I just dump gravel on top of this sandy stuff?

 

[fishpick]

i wish we could get away with 50 tons every few years... usually for ours it's more like 120 tons every 2 years... Our soil is horrifically fine "silt" and when the original owners built the drive they used round rocks as the base not broken limestone... so - things just keep pushing down through... it's WAY more expensive to rip it all out and do it right than to just keep adding more stone every 2-3 years.
Upside - the landplan lets me go 2-3 years between adding stone... used to be almost every year.

 

[Egon]

Loader will work fine removing the top soil. Just spread the new gravel with the loader. It will blend in nicely with the existing driveway.

A back blade with gauge wheels might be the best choice for maintenance. It can pull the edges up. Windrow back and forth will mix the fines and coarser rock well.Than lay it out with the back blade With a crown.

The attachment shows some basic principles of road maintenance with a Road Grader. Most important it shows how to angle and tilt the blade. You will also note that mixing occurs when the windrow is being turned and material will be carried forward with the windrow. This really helps get the nice smooth finish And compactable base.Most of these operation‘s can be done with a back blade with gauge wheels.

 

[gstrom99]

Good luck, how much stone is that? too late now but I'm thinking ill try and get the dirt ripped up before i have the rock delivered, maybe the trucker bros will help me spread it with their gate.

I won't get the invoice for a few days (mailed separately). I've had several truckloads of dirt and stone delivered here in the last few years. This was a 6x truck, probably ~ 17-20 tons. ? The quarry charges by the ton, and it doesn't go as far as you'd think.. That's why it's hard for us to calculate this stuff. Your long drive will probably need several loads, every 2-3 years, depending on soil type and traffic. The good drivers will be able to do a decent "tailgate drop", to help spread it out. Fun, eh?

 

[Diggin It]

Based on your last picture, I would spray, maybe till to disturb grass and weed roots, roll to compact, then add rock. You'll have to add rock again in a couple of years as the first load packs into the ground.

Rock is heavy. 50 ton is a tablespoonful. I've had 20 ton delivered in the last year and I didn't cover very much ground with it. First load of just under 10 ton was $135. Second load of just over 10 was $165. I thought the first load would be enough. Turns out I still need more even after the second load. And I'm not doing a driveway, just some areas I don't want grass to grow and have to be mowed.

 

[gstrom99]

I spread this out today. Didn't use it all. Still need to level it with my land plane (homemade). No injuries and any tractor seat time is always good....