Gravel Driveway Question

Tractor_Jim_CT · Mar 21, 2005

Need to use my BX23 to fix the following:

We have a long 700 foot shared driveway that manages to develope large pot holes that get filled with more gravel and come back.

I'm in New England. Is there a mixture that I can use with gravel or steps to take to prevent these large potholes from coming back. Neighbors don't want to tar.

Thanks for any thoughts

beenthere · Mar 21, 2005

How about doing us a favor and only posting in one location. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

ShiningSky · Mar 21, 2005

They come back because the underlying material below the base is giving away. You need to dig out that underlying soft and spongy material, usually clay, and replace and pack with a course rock fill.

Cheers

David

Junkman · Mar 21, 2005

This is a common problem in New England with dirt/gravel roads. The best way to get rid of them is to dig them up with the backhoe and enlarge them. Then putting the material back in the hole and pounding it down with the back of the bucket as you work your way back to the top of the hole. If you are filling the holes only, then the fill material never develops a bond to the surrounding material. The best way to repair this type of damage is to break up the entire surface of the driveway for a depth of about 12"-18" and regrade it totally. This might be more work than you feel that the BX can handle, but if you take it a small section at a time, it is doable. I also suggest that you put a crown on the road so the water can run off. Many people make the same mistake of creating a flat surface and that just leads to more pot holes. Also, the best thing to do is not let the pot hole get started. Work them over as soon as you see them. Once they fill with water, every time a car drops a wheel in the pot hole, it splashes out the water and the action of the water makes the pot hole larger. The best material for a dirt / gravel road is 3/4" crushed stone mixed with stone dust. This allows the water to move through the base, rather than settling there. Drainage is a must along the sides. You will also find rocks and boulders working there way to the surface during the winter months that will also need to be removed. Just hope that the size of the rocks is something that you BX can handle. I had a few that were just too large for the backhoe to lift out. Just one more thing about living in New England....... road work is never completed before it has to be redone again.....

Tractor_Jim_CT · Mar 22, 2005

Is the best way to make a crown in the driveway with a back blade? If yes, then can the back blade be mounded on an angle to shape the ground or can blades only plow straight,
Any rear blade purchase recommendations for BX23 and size.

Sorry, /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gifI posted by accident in the General area..I usually post just in Kubota area.

Junkman · Mar 22, 2005

I would assume that a rear blade can be set to a 45 degree angle and also be set to produce a high and low side. Not experienced enough to tell you how to accomplish this. Personally, I prefer a Gallion Road Grader to do this type of work, but I am certain that you aren't going to spend that type of money for a specialty machine... /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Egon · Mar 22, 2005

Gauge wheels work well. Henro has made a very nice set.

Object when refinishing road is to mix the granular material so that it will compact well. To do this roll the largest windrow your tractor can pull back and forth to mix as well as to distribute the material more evenly. More times you do this the better. Then set gauge wheels to start laying small lifts while rolling the windrow. Each pass leaves a thin layer that should then be compacted. Keep doing this till there is no windrow left and the road is crowned. A slight steeper crow will aid in water run off.

Graders definetly work best for this but only with an experienced operator. First timers usually end up with something that makes a washboard look smooth. They are a difficult machine to operate properly. Never tell a finish operator how to do his job!!

Egon

1TMatthews · Mar 22, 2005

I'm in Massachusetts and we have a gravel drive I use the stuff they normally put down under a paved drive way it is stonedust and gravel mixed and it packs like cement.

Av8r3400 · Mar 22, 2005

Having run both, I find that a box blade is far easier to run than a plain rear blade. Just IMHO.

btolle · Mar 22, 2005

I agree that the box blade is easier to control, but a straight blade will do a better job on a crowned road or to make a ditch.

Av8r2230 made me do some thinking though. You could use the scarifiers (fully extended) on a box blade to break up the road and then use a straight blade to mix and windrow the material. It would be a lot easier to work the material onceit is broken up.

I have a 4' box blade and just bought a 6' straight blade (with a tiltable blade). $335 + tax! Yikes, this stuff has gotten expensive.

My B7510 measures about 53 1/2" to the outside of the rear tires so I bought a 6'. With a 5' the blade would not cover the tire tracks if it was angled.

I would imagine a 5' would work well with a BX.

Box blades and straight blades each have their place in the tractor world. You can substitute one for the other for limited use but with a 700 foot driveway I would want both blades.

A straight blade can be set at several angles and the better ones can be tilted to 2 or 3 different angles. Better to spend the extra to get a better one.

The last blade I had was a cheap one, did not tilt and I had to bolt 2 old V8 engine heads to it to add some weight. It was just bouncing up and down on a rock road without the added weight.

Bill Tolle