Grading driveway question

[UpToNoGood]

We just purchased a house on 5 acres in the woods. The ground is very rocky, but the roads leading in to my property is already showing signs of wash-out. We ordered a Bobcat CT2025 but have to wait 6 more weeks for it to arrive. So until then I was considering having some gravel spread down the roads or should I wait for the tractor and attempt to fix the wash-out first before laying down the gravel? The wash-out is very minor, but can see it getting worse over time.

 

[kcflhrc]

Someone that knows how to spread gravel with a dump truck can make it look fantastic. My guy can lay down gravel like no other. I never have to touch it afterwards.

 

[/pine]

If the wash-out is at a low point and the water is running directly across the road a culvert may be the answer...if water is running down the road it should be pitched to one side or the other or crowned...the key is to get the water to run across the lane rather than down it...

 

[Thomas]

If you decide on putting in culvert do so before first load gravel shows up,you may want to clean out ditches than crown your driveway.

 

[/pine]

If one side of the drive is naturally higher than the other it is better to pitch the lane to the low side (rather than crowning)...this eliminates the need for a ditch on the high side which generally requires a culvert to eventually get the water to the lower side

 

[UpToNoGood]

If the wash-out is at a low point and the water is running directly across the road a culvert may be the answer...if water is running down the road it should be pitched to one side or the other or crowned...the key is to get the water to run across the lane rather than down it...

The photo shows where the water crosses the road and I plan to culvert it before gravel. However like you said most of my issues is with the water wanting to run the length of the road down the middle meandering back and forth. I believe you gave me the answer I am needing which is to either crown or slope the road and make the water stay off the center of the road.

 

[lilranch2001]

As others have mentioned, dealing with the water properly is key.

If it is running across your driveway at one location, put a large enough culvert in first, if it runs across is several locations, you may be able to get away with a 5"- 6" or 8" PVC pipe, I have water that runs in one location draining about 30 acres of neighbors farm field, when I built the driveway 35 yrs ago I was sort of cash poor, but had a piece of 5" PVC available to me, so I used it. I built a small retention pond in front of the PVC and have only had it top over my drive way a hand full of times over the years and just barely then.

When it rains, the retention pond fills up and then drains for hours or days after the rain/snow event.

Surprisingly it works pretty well, and at least 2 of the over topping events was caused by crop debris clogging the inlet.

I just built a drive into my woods, and for it I purchased a 48" double wall PVC culvert, I doubt I will ever over top it, but it drains a much wider area.

 

[Deere Dude]

Someone that knows how to spread gravel with a dump truck can make it look fantastic. My guy can lay down gravel like no other. I never have to touch it afterwards.

I wouldn't touch anything until I had a tractor in hand. One time I just had a garden tractor with blade in hand and an old gravel guy spread a tri-axe for me. Either being non-skilled or whatever the problem was he started going from the house to the road and when hr got to the road he stopped and I got a 10 yard pile on the end of the driveway. He kid of shrugged and said sorry. So I spent all day trying to smooth out my little mountain.

I went to a competitor after that and he was perfect at laying gravel down.

 

[/pine]

...The ground is very rocky...

You have my sympathy dealing with a naturally rocky road bed base...larger rocks are a bane to an operator using typical grading implements...they (larger rocks) generally cause two main problems....they either cause an implement to rise up and over them dumping and leaving whatever payload the blade etc. has accumulated...or they catch under the cutting edge and create big gouges...both cause extra work/passes...

On top of that even after several inches of gravel topping is in place traffic and general maintenance will often cause some bigger underlying rocks to work their way to the surface which then again creates the issues mentioned above...and I have found no real solution other than manually removing them by hand...

good luck...

 

[airbiscuit]

If one side of the drive is naturally higher than the other it is better to pitch the lane to the low side (rather than crowning)...this eliminates the need for a ditch on the high side which generally requires a culvert to eventually get the water to the lower side

I would wait to get my tractor. In the meantime, throw some of that rock in the erosion. It's always hard to discern slope from a photo. That said, the best advice I ever heard is water is going to go where water wants to go. It is stubborn, but you can try to divert it and slow it down. /pine's advice is sound.

I would recommend you search many articles and videos on road erosion. The US Forest Service has some good info.

• A crown with ditches on both sides is the best first option
• A road pitched to one side is an option if there isn't room for an uphill option - but not for a long run
• Don't let water pick up velocity
• You can cut a swale on the uphill side in spots to capture water and slow down velocity
• Water bars are an option but create a "bump"
• It is best if you an contour the road base (with your new tractor) before the gravel is spread

 

[oosik]

The water is coming to the low point and crossing the road there. Best to keep the water to that side of the road until you "build" some way to get it across. Keep it to the side of the road by - ditching or crowning or sloping the road. Then a culvert to get it across the road. Ditching may be the easiest if it's not a whole lot of water.

 

[EddieWalker]

How old is that road?

With so much rock naturally in your soil, it looks in really good shape to me as it is. Being new to the land, I would hold off on doing anything to that road right away.

Adding a culvert could create other issues if you get one too small. If you get a lot of run off when it rains, and the culvert washes out, you will not be able to get across the road.

Why would you add gravel to that road?

 

[Citydude]

I agree with Eddie. I have areas on my road that look like the picture. The water coming across it is spread out enough to not cut a channel through the gravel I put down.

 

[UpToNoGood]

The road is already showing signs of water cutting into the road down the middle of the road meandering from side to side. The road has been there for over 100 years.

 

[Egon]

Wait till you have the proper equipment, then shape your road and establish proper drainage and then add the gravel.

 

[old and tired]

With as little rainfall that you'll get and being new owners... just watch it for a few years. Personally, I don't think it will be a problem.

 

[EddieWalker]

The road is already showing signs of water cutting into the road down the middle of the road meandering from side to side. The road has been there for over 100 years.

If it's lasted 100 years, I wouldn't be too worried about doing anything to it right away.

Are you going to be building on the land? Will you be bringing concrete trucks and heavy equipment up that road? they will destroy anything that you do if it's not perfect. And perfect is very hard to do without all the right equipment, and that gets very expensive.