Gravel Driveway - pothole

[TheMan419]

We have a gravel (well limestone really) drive. It is in need of a refresh. We usally put down a topping of what is called #53 around here. It is 1 1/2 inch down to powder. It usually packs well and provides a nice look. Has to be redone every couple years.

We have a small pot hole developing. Right now a circle maybe a foot to a foot and half in diameter.

What do we need to do to repair that? I have a tractor with a bucket and a back blade. Neighbor has a box blad that I could probably borrow but I have no idea how to use it.

Does just filling the hole in with #53's and compacting that work? Should I get something smaller or larger to put in that hole to start with?

The company we buy from will deliver and spread the rock with their spreader truck. If we need to do something specific to that spot I will either need to do it myself or hire someone to specifically deal with it.

Thanks for any advice!

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

Sounds like time for a 5 gallon bucket of rock and a yard rake.

 

[TheMan419]

Sounds like time for a 5 gallon bucket of rock and a yard rake.

So just fill it with the #53's?

 

[ponytug]

That is the idea. You need to get the damp clay or damp stone dust worked into the material and compacted, ideally with a vibratory compactor. You want the material not to move afterwards. If you are doing it every couple of years, I suspect that the next time you add new material that if you bring in a heavy roller compactor after mixing the new with the old, it will last longer. You might also try making the next layer smaller, say 3/4" minus.

Potholes form when water, or movement, washes the clay/stone dust out of the gravel, freeing the gravel to move. Subsequent tire passage further moves the gravel and washes/drives the fines out of the gravel, making the problem worse.

All the best,

Peter

 

[seville009]

Or maybe mix in some Quikcrete with the stone you put into the pothole to help hold it all in place

 

[oosik]

I use my LPGS with scarifiers full down. But I'm dealing with a mile long gravel driveway and a couple 150 foot stretches with potholes. You can do the same thing. Take your garden rake and VIGOROUSLY scarify the bottom of the pothole. Add a bucket or two of your limestone material. Smooth it with the rake. You want the "added limestone" to bond with the material at the bottom of the pothole.

Then - with the heaviest vehicle you own - drive forward/back over this area and pack it down. If you lightly dampen the new limestone it will pack down better.

 

[timbatrader]

In my experience potholes are all about the water if you can shape the drive so the water runs away you will prevent the pothole coming back but if water can sit there and there is traffic you get potholes forming my advice fill the hole with the same material that is around it but pay attention to where the water runs and sits. The first heavy rain after I have worked on my driveway I always get my coat on and walk the length of the driveway and watch where the water runs and make a mental note of what areas i need to change

 

[Rockbadchild]

sometime filling the pothole is a quick fix but can come back at the same place the next year…. Is that your case ?

what do you mean “it need to be redone every couple years” ? like you need to add gravel every couple of years ? if so why ? it sinks ?

I worked as road constructions surveyor for 3 years and we always had to grade the road before adding gravel if not i was told the potholes or washboard would translate right through the asphalt in a matter of years.

so from that id say to scrape the gravel until you get to the bottom of the pot hole just like a grader would then spread it back once level and compacted down, add you new gravel and compact it against.

 

[thclimer]

Like others have made note of, potholes are the result of standing water which then someone drives through and splashes the water carrying away some of the gravel/grit eventually creating a depression which then feeds to process more vigorously.

As it sounds like you only have one hole to fill I'd be manually filling the hole with a shovel using the same material (stone and dust) packing it the best you can maybe even leaving it a little proud of the road surface to be compacted as you drive over it. Then the next time it rains make sure there is not a puddle forming or you will have the pothole return.

Good luck!

 

[MoMower]

Break the edges of the pot hole as much as possible before filling it. Just filling it in and it’ll be back shortly.