Fixing a logging road

[Woody65]

Well, we went to the property and after driving a few times on the old tractor road to get to the camper the road began to rut pretty bad. We have had a very wet spring in northern NY and this road was never meant for consistent vehicle traffic. In addition, the previous owner dug a trench down the side of the mountain to divert water from a road that goes up the mountain. The water from that trench dumps out on this lower road. I had no problem getting through the muck but family who were going to be visiting us weren't going to make it. So, we dug out 30 inches of muck and discovered water cascading down the side of the trench from the uphill side of the road. We installed a 20 foot 16" sleuth pipe and covered it with 20 inches of cobble. I will let it pack down and then put a few inches of crusher run. The road is used for occasional vehicle traffic until I push a 1200' road up the mountain to the location where we will put the camper permanently while building a home. For the most part, the road is a quad and tractor trail to get between fields. Enjoy the pics, and any comments are welcome. I have never built a road before so any helpful hints are appreciated.

 

[CalG]

Has the "sleuth pipe" solved many mysteries?

 

[DT86]

Looks to me like you are off to a good start. :thumbsup:

 

[Woody65]

Has the "sleuth pipe" solved many mysteries?

Yes, so far it has solved the water mystery. Lol

 

[Woody65]

Looks to me like you are off to a good start. :thumbsup:

Thanks, the outlaws, I mean in laws, were happy their vehicle didn't have to get dirty a second time. Haha

 

[bcp]

Has the "sleuth pipe" solved many mysteries?

There is even a "sleuth pipe" club.

Sherlock Holmes Pipe Club of Boston - Monthly Newsletter

Bruce

 

[hslogger]

For a decent road in the long run, that round river rock is your enemy. It will never bind well and float off, besides being bumpy. Crushed rock, ie 3/4 minus is what we call it is your best top coat over a base of big rock, what we call 3-4 inch "open" meaning three to four inch chunky rock with no fines. That is what makes a great base. Having a road crowned, ditched and out slopped with culverts is the ideal.

 

[Woody65]

For a decent road in the long run, that round river rock is your enemy. It will never bind well and float off, besides being bumpy. Crushed rock, ie 3/4 minus is what we call it is your best top coat over a base of big rock, what we call 3-4 inch "open" meaning three to four inch chunky rock with no fines. That is what makes a great base. Having a road crowned, ditched and out slopped with culverts is the ideal.

HSlogger, thanks for the response.
We tried to get the 3" minus but the person at the gravel pit told us that theirs had a lot of fines in it at the moment. So, my neighbor, who is an excavator, stated that we could use the cobble and top it off with crusher run. It was a bit of an emergency to get it done. But I know,from reading many posts here, is to use the chunky rock (3 " minus) with edges as a base and top with smaller material ( crusher run or 3/4 minus) so it locks together. This road is temporarily for vehicles and then will only be used by quads and tractors occasionally. I was hoping that whatever water doesn't make it into the pipe can travel through the cobble to the low side without washing out the road. It is not a river of water but a slow steady trickle coming down the hillside underground during wet times.

 

[Woody65]

Update. Got a load of crusher run delivered and spread out over the 100 ft of roadway that was washing out. Culvert is working great and so far no water on the roadway. Spread about 4 to 6 inches of the crusher run over the 30 inches of stone.

 

[wmonroe]

The road looks good, it appears the drain is doing its job.