Gravel road: Filling potholes with concrete????

[FTG-05]

So spring is here and I've decided to buy several loads of gravel for the five "Mud Holes" as I call them over the next several months. These are five areas where water stands and eventually, potholes appear. While there is some gravel in some of these mud holes, most of it was too small IMO and has simply just disappeared into the ground.

So I would like your opinions on what size gravel I should order. A lot of gravel that's been ordered in the past, I believe is called "Crusher Run". If this was dumped in a mud hole area, it just disappeared after several months with very little left. For the part of the road I own, I put down a base layer of #4 rock, then dressed or cover it with what my supplier called #67. This last was a pretty big stone gravel, much bigger than the usual crusher run and I'm very pleased with it. Absent better information or recommendations, this is what I plan to use in the five mud holes.

I don't know what these rock gravel terms mean, but what I've seen, bigger is better.

Comments?

 

[fried1765]

So spring is here and I've decided to buy several loads of gravel for the five "Mud Holes" as I call them over the next several months. These are five areas where water stands and eventually, potholes appear. While there is some gravel in some of these mud holes, most of it was too small IMO and has simply just disappeared into the ground.

So I would like your opinions on what size gravel I should order. A lot of gravel that's been ordered in the past, I believe is called "Crusher Run". If this was dumped in a mud hole area, it just disappeared after several months with very little left. For the part of the road I own, I put down a base layer of #4 rock, then dressed or cover it with what my supplier called #67. This last was a pretty big stone gravel, much bigger than the usual crusher run and I'm very pleased with it. Absent better information or recommendations, this is what I plan to use in the five mud holes.

I don't know what these rock gravel terms mean, but what I've seen, bigger is better.

Comments?

A good initial gravel for the squishy spots could be #3, which is stone between 1/2" and 2".
If the holes are big/deep though, you might mix in some #1, which is 2" - 4".
Drive on it for a short while.
Then top with a 4" layer of #67 (also called 3/4 minus), and grade.
This will be a fix, but likely it will not be a long term fix!

The only REAL solution, is to FIRST eliminate the water that stands on the roadway.
You can do this (when moist) by building up the roadway, shaping a significant CROWN, and creating DITCHES to carry the water away.
Drive on that for a short while. Do not loose the crown!
Then you could simply use a 4" layer of #67.
If you maintain it with occasional grading, and DON'T ever drive down the middle, you will have a nice stable driveway.

Gravel can get a bit pricey though.
I used $16,000 worth on my 2000' driveway, and turn around, but my (Canadian) neighbors called it a highway.
I never drove down the middle, and after a few tries, taught my wife to do the same.

The three most important things about roads/driveways are: DITCHES, DITCHES, DITCHES!!

I used a 6'- EA 6 Way Deluxe Scrape Blade, behind my little 32HP Ford 1920. (the blade offsets wonderfully)
The EA rear blade is absolutely excellent! A rear blade does have a meaningful learning curve however.
I have been using a rear blade since 1971.

 

[Travelover]

Reminds me of back when I used to clear the snow off the road in our 30 house subdivision. One lady complained that I'd left a snow berm in front of her driveway. After that it was hard to just leave the stretch in front of her house unplowed. :laughing:

 

[FTG-05]

A good initial gravel for the squishy spots could be #3, which is stone between 1/2" and 2".
If the holes are big/deep though, you might mix in some #1, which is 2" - 4".
Drive on it for a short while.
Then top with a 3-4" layer of #67 (also called 3/4 minus), and grade.
This will be a fix, but likely not a long term fix!

The only REAL solution, is to first eliminate the water that stands on the roadway.
You can do this (when moist) by building up the roadway, shaping a significant CROWN, and creating DITCHES to carry the water away.
Drive on that for a short while. Do not loose the crown!
Then you could simply use a 4" layer of #67.
If you maintain it with occasional grading, and DON'T ever drive down the middle, you will have a nice stable driveway.

Gravel can get a bit pricey though.
I used nearly $16,000 worth on my 2000' driveway, but my neighbors called it a highway.
I never drove down the middle, and after a few tries, taught my wife to do the same.

The three most important things about roads/driveways are: DITCHES, DITCHES, DITCHES!!

No crap! Rain + people driving down the same track = "bathtub" = potholes.

No real gravel = mud holes = potholes.

 

[lman]

So spring is here and I've decided to buy several loads of gravel for the five "Mud Holes" as I call them over the next several months. These are five areas where water stands and eventually, potholes appear. While there is some gravel in some of these mud holes, most of it was too small IMO and has simply just disappeared into the ground.

So I would like your opinions on what size gravel I should order. A lot of gravel that's been ordered in the past, I believe is called "Crusher Run". If this was dumped in a mud hole area, it just disappeared after several months with very little left. For the part of the road I own, I put down a base layer of #4 rock, then dressed or cover it with what my supplier called #67. This last was a pretty big stone gravel, much bigger than the usual crusher run and I'm very pleased with it. Absent better information or recommendations, this is what I plan to use in the five mud holes.

I don't know what these rock gravel terms mean, but what I've seen, bigger is better.

Comments?

Around here we don't use gravel. We use limestone.

 

[DKCDKC]

I have a gravel drive one mile long - up and down hills and several sharp turns on the hills. You get erosion on the slopes and potholes on the flats sometimes. After years of trial and error, I developed a process that works for me. I bought a load of #3 gravel - 2 inch rock or so. I have a pile of it near the road. On the slopes I "almost" fill ruts with it after a storm as necessary then rake the driveway gravel - mostly crusher run - over it and it holds a long time. I don't have and can't afford real ditches along most of the road so I've sloped it into curves, etc. I then put the larger rock on the inside of the curve and have had no washout problems any more. I also put the larger stone in potholes almost to the top - frequently just a layer or two. Then I use a BB or ratchet rake to smooth the regular driveway gravel over it. A hole will come back sometimes, but, after one or two more treatments, never reappears. I do slightly slope the entire surface of the road in problem areas to make sure I don't have standing water. Anyway, the driveway stays in pretty good shape and I don't spend a lot of money on gravel - usually a few loads every second or third year at most.