First time making and grading a dirt road for gravel

[Farmingthefarm]

Hi all,

This is my current driveway, the tyre dirt is nice and compact, with the middle sod part being easily scraped top soil. I want to put in gravel, what's the best approach? Do I make 2 passes with the box blade and knock the depth down of the whole track? Or use the 4 in 1 FEL and scope out everything so it's flat, then run a box blade to crown the remaining soil?
After that I'm planning on adding geo textile mat and roadbase on top of that.

For other parts of the boundary the road is super bumpy, if I'm keeping it dirt, is it best just to keep running the box blade over it?

Thanks again for the advice

 

[Shawn T. W.]

I'd just flatten it out using the center dirt to fill in the slightly lower two track, then pack it on by driving the heaviest vehicle you have, add you geotextile, then your gravel ...

I'm not sure how much rain you get, but you'll want the driveway higher than the surrounding ground, so use the dirt you have to build it up

 

[bigtiller]

I would skip the geo textile mat, it probably will cause you some grief in the future. Have the dump truck driver spread 6 inches deep of 1" with fines. After it dries out from a rain it will be a solid driveway.

Or you could spend some really big bucks by removing the vegetation and start with a layer of 4" rock and work your way up in several layers to ¾ inch for the finish.

 

[chim]

I'm no driveway expert but can tell you how ours was done. First, all the vegetation and topsoil was removed to a depth of nearly a foot. First layer was 9" ballast rock followed by 4" and finally what is known here as 2A Modified which is pretty much anything that passes through a 3/4" screen. This provides enough fines to lock everything together.

Having lived on construction sites for a lot of my working career I can tell you that simply spreading some stones on dirt isn't a good approach.

This was built in 1990 and lasted for years through floods and seasons. It became almost as hard as concrete. When we got tired of the dust and dirt we had the main driveway paved. When the original driveway was built we also had a spur put in to circle around to the shed. That spur has also been flooded frequently and has (poor) grass over much of it so it's easy to follow it. When we have rain the top 1/2" or so gets kind of muddy. However, the spur is so solid that there is never a time that any size truck can make ruts in it. Our LP tank sits just beyond the end of it and regardless of the weather the bulk delivery truck has no effect on it.

 

[bcp]

Soils in different places are different. Look at driveways around your area.

I've lived in two places where two inches of crushed rock (1 1/2 minus) over packed undisturbed dirt was sufficient for cars, pickups, and the occasional heavy truck.

And other places where serious excavation and structured layers were needed.

Bruce

 

[Hay Dude]

You want to avoid laying stone on top of topsoil. Due to it’s organic material content, it’ll just push the stone down into it and make a big mess.

Best to scrape off topsoil the width of the driveway and stock it in pile(s) for use later. Lay fabric down in the driveway cut, then a layer of 3-4” stone, then 3/4” modified with fines in it.
The fabric helps separate the 3-4” stone from the dirt below it.

 

[Farmingthefarm]

You want to avoid laying stone on top of topsoil. Due to it’s organic material content, it’ll just push the stone down into it and make a big mess.

Best to scrape off topsoil the width of the driveway and stock it in pile(s) for use later. Lay fabric down in the driveway cut, then a layer of 3-4” stone, then 3/4” modified with fines in it.
The fabric helps separate the 3-4” stone from the dirt below it.

Thanks. To scrap it off would the 4 in 1 be better or dragging the box blade? Should I try and crown the soil as well? Or it'll be fine flat and just focus on crowning the roadbase?

 

[Shawn T. W.]

Scrape it with the box blade, then scoop up the piles with the bucket.

I'd leave it flat until your final grade ...

Does the current drive get soggy/muddy if it rains? You said the tracks were hard.

 

[Hay Dude]

Thanks. To scrap it off would the 4 in 1 be better or dragging the box blade? Should I try and crown the soil as well? Or it'll be fine flat and just focus on crowning the roadbase?

I think both attachments could be effective. Crowning the soil would also crown the fabric, which should direct the water outwards.

 

[Farmingthefarm]

Scrape it with the box blade, then scoop up the piles with the bucket.

I'd leave it flat until your final grade ...

Does the current drive get soggy/muddy if it rains? You said the tracks were hard.

No even after many days of rain those tyre track areas are rock hard