Fired Road contractor. Build it myself?

[WoodChuckDad]

The local stone guy, who I already bout 165 tons of #57 from, for the back full on my bridge, walked the road and told me he would use crusher run. I'm weighing all options before deciding what to use.
As for the blade, how much wider than my tractor should I go? I have an 84 inch box blade and it sits just about flush with the width of the tractor.

 

[CADplans]

I have been building/maintaining my 1/4 mile road since 1982.
I have used, at different times, 3 different rear blades, a box blade, and a landscape rake.

Taking care of the driveway did not become easy, until I built a landplane.

IMHO, you will not know exactly where the culverts are required, for a year or more.
Plan on installing them later.

If I were to build that road (my tractor is about the size of yours), I would shape the road with the landplane.
This might take 3 hours, it might take a day.

Then, I would roll the road.

My roller is a small DIY,, 1/2" thick ductile iron pipe full of concrete,,, it is perfect, for me.

Once I got the dirt base VERY stable, I would add 6 inches of what we call pug,, or mill run.
This is what the state (Virginia) uses around Roanoke as a base under new asphalt roads.

If the driver tailgates the material properly, you can then roll the material.
Next, shape the road again with the landplane.

Roll the road again,, and enjoy.

I lived in Charles City for a while, and built a lot of road in similar soil conditions.
If you use crusher run, you will need a large stone base, to stabilize the road.
Pug will seal the soil away from the water,,, without the pug, the road can get spongy from rain.

My road is closer to concrete than gravel,, the pug REALLY packs tight.

If you spend less than $2,000 for a landplane, it is too light.
If you want to build a landplane, there is a thread on how I built the one in the pics,,,

 

[ustmd]

+100000 on getting the land plane if you are going to do it yourself. I've got 0.75 miles of compacted road. I spent years using a box blade. Getting the land plane (or dual bevel box blade as they are generic known), made a world of difference in laying down material and dressing the road.

 

[WoodChuckDad]

I have been building/maintaining my 1/4 mile road since 1982. I have used, at different times, 3 different rear blades, a box blade, and a landscape rake. Taking care of the driveway did not become easy, until I built a landplane. IMHO, you will not know exactly where the culverts are required, for a year or more. Plan on installing them later. If I were to build that road (my tractor is about the size of yours), I would shape the road with the landplane. This might take 3 hours, it might take a day. Then, I would roll the road. My roller is a small DIY,, 1/2" thick ductile iron pipe full of concrete,,, it is perfect, for me. Once I got the dirt base VERY stable, I would add 6 inches of what we call pug,, or mill run. This is what the state (Virginia) uses around Roanoke as a base under new asphalt roads. If the driver tailgates the material properly, you can then roll the material. Next, shape the road again with the landplane. Roll the road again,, and enjoy. I lived in Charles City for a while, and built a lot of road in similar soil conditions. If you use crusher run, you will need a large stone base, to stabilize the road. Pug will seal the soil away from the water,,, without the pug, the road can get spongy from rain. My road is closer to concrete than gravel,, the pug REALLY packs tight. If you spend less than $2,000 for a landplane, it is too light. If you want to build a landplane, there is a thread on how I built the one in the pics,,,

my farm is in crozet. More like your Roanoke soil. I don't know how the land plane works and don't really understand the advantage.

 

[CADplans]

my farm is in crozet. More like your Roanoke soil. I don't know how the land plane works and don't really understand the advantage.

Like I said,, I avoided them for over a decade,, I could not handle the cost of a landplane.
When I built mine, after the first hour of use,, I realized what I had been missing.

S M O O T H +++ !! :thumbsup:
and,, it does a great job of shaping my driveway crown.

The long length of the runners I believe is the trick,,, plus the low blade that allows the material to go over.

Time to do some research. YouTube has some videos,, but, they are all light units.
Mine weighs over 1,500 pounds, I may add weight.

The YouTube videos will give you an idea of what it can do,,,
maybe some day I will do a video so there will be a heavy landplane video.

The guys who sell them "fib" a lot on weight,,, Mine is made out of 1/2" sides, theirs is 1/4",,,
yet they claim the same or greater weight.

 

[LD1]

"crusher run" or 1-1/2" minus......around here we call 304's. Its anything and everything that will fit through a 1-1/2" screen. Big stuff down to dust.

We do NOT use it around here for base normally. ITs either a top coat or a intermediate coat, depending on how you want the finished road to look.

A typical base around here consists of the base layer of what we call 1's and 2's. This is all larger stone....~3"-4" stuff.

That base is then topped with the 304's (crusher run), which allows the fines to work in and lock the larger stuff together. How much traffic, and how heavy the loads will determine the thickness of the layers.

Pretty common is 4" of the 1's & 2's.....Then 2" of the 304's.

Leaving the 304's for the topcoat is fine. But some prefer a smoother finish than the 304's leave, which does allow some of the larger 1-1/2" stones to be near the surface. Topcoats of preference are 57's (3/4" stuff) or #8's (3/8" stuff). The top coat layer only needs to be an inch or two thick as well.

I dont know your soil structure, or what is the norm in VA, but I personally wouldnt build a road with just 6-8" of crusher run.

And as others mentioned.......the issue you are gonna have is ditches. Cutting a road across the edge of the hillside like you have done.....when it rains the water HAS to get from the uphill side to the downhill side. Without a ditch on the uphill side, directing all the water to a culvert or two......the only way water can get down hill is either 1. Across 2. Under 3. Through your road and road bed. NONE of which is a good thing.

 

[WoodChuckDad]

It looks like my education is continuing. To achieve the ditch in the manner that I imagine it, I will need to use the excavator and a rear blade.
I already have about 1/4 mile of gravel road that leads to the beginning of this road so I will be over 1/2 mile of gravel road when it is done. Land plane might be in my future but I can't afford all the toys at once.
Making a decision on gravel size is the kicker. Fortunately I have time to look ok around at other folks methods while I work on the road. I'm sure it will take me a month or so. Not too bad a problem since I can't start the house build till spring.

He do I chose blade size?

 

[LD1]

He do I chose blade size?

Ideally, you want one that will cover your tracks when angled.

SO you have to look at the tractors width.

Blade angled to 45 degrees........multiple is .7
Blade at 40 degrees...................multiple is .77
Blade angled at 35 degrees........multiple is .82

What that means........if you have a 9' blade......

9 x .7 = blade will cover 6.3' of track width when angled to 45 degrees
9 x .77 = blade will cover 6.93' of track width when at 40 degree angle.

For doing road work, I think you are really gonna want a blade that has hydraulic angle, tilt, and offset. And the heavier the better.

I think a 9'....while it would work......wouldnt be ideal. I think you would want at least a 10' blade on that tractor.

 

[Rustyiron]

After watching you build your "bridge", I know you can do it and at minimum, end up with a few new attachments for your fleet in the end. I would look out for a swivel ditching bucket, sometimes called a clean up bucket for your excavator. They are usually about 5-6' wide, no teeth and it can swivel (or swing up & down in relation to your stick) to make an excellent ditching & grading bucket. They are not cheap but if you keep your eye out for a used one and already have "plumbing" on the stick you will be amazed at the new capabilities of your excavator. I'll continue with the "land plane" recomendation, another tool that will simply out perform any rear blade or box. I can testify to the toughness of the "roadrunner" blade Grading Blades for Tractors and Skid Loaders, Roadrunner Construction Equipment and there made up in MD or PA. Basically they have a lot more weight and a more aggressive blade angle than rear blades or box blades and that combination will make it cut 10X better. They do actually carry material as well although it does not look like it would.

 

[deerefan]

I have been building/maintaining my 1/4 mile road since 1982.
I have used, at different times, 3 different rear blades, a box blade, and a landscape rake.

Taking care of the driveway did not become easy, until I built a landplane.

IMHO, you will not know exactly where the culverts are required, for a year or more.
Plan on installing them later.

If I were to build that road (my tractor is about the size of yours), I would shape the road with the landplane.
This might take 3 hours, it might take a day.

Then, I would roll the road.

My roller is a small DIY,, 1/2" thick ductile iron pipe full of concrete,,, it is perfect, for me.

Once I got the dirt base VERY stable, I would add 6 inches of what we call pug,, or mill run.
This is what the state (Virginia) uses around Roanoke as a base under new asphalt roads.

If the driver tailgates the material properly, you can then roll the material.
Next, shape the road again with the landplane.

Roll the road again,, and enjoy.

I lived in Charles City for a while, and built a lot of road in similar soil conditions.
If you use crusher run, you will need a large stone base, to stabilize the road.
Pug will seal the soil away from the water,,, without the pug, the road can get spongy from rain.

My road is closer to concrete than gravel,, the pug REALLY packs tight.

If you spend less than $2,000 for a landplane, it is too light.
If you want to build a landplane, there is a thread on how I built the one in the pics,,,

That is a nice looking road there. I see a raised edge on the downward slope-does the water pool there or run thru? A road is only as good as its base. Prep the soil accordingly. Take some samples and have them tested. It may require a small amount of lime to get the plasticity in a suitable range. Lime is pretty cheap. Usually, as you cut down, at least in my area, you get into a fatter clay, requiring lime. I put 900ft of road in at my farm. I cut the road in, removing roughly 6" of top soil. I then added powdered lime, cut that in about 10-12 inches down, keeping it moist as lime activates better when wet. I smoothed it back down, let it sit for a few days to allow the lime to work. I then crowned the road with my dozer, following that up with a roller for compaction. I opted to test it just to check myself. It came back at 98% with moisture content at about 14-15%. I laid wash gravel down and other than maintenance grading have not added gravel in he 13 years I have used it or had any failures. I spent roughly $4k, not counting my time.