GRAVEL TYPE/GRADE FOR SIDEWALK BASE

WALT · Jun 13, 2006

As part of my ongoing landscaping around my home, I have excavated a 6' x 50' trench for a proposed sidewalk. the trench is approx. 12" deep. The soil is rock, with some clay mixed in.

What grade of gravel should be used as the base for this project?
I plan on spreading 4" of gravel, compacting, and spreading the next 4" layer, etc.

Also, I would like to find some info. websites that define these different grades of material. In CT., it seems that every pit has it's own terms for similar materials. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

Thanks:
WALT

Egon · Jun 14, 2006

Walt, when you find a universaly accepted gravel chart please post the results. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Most times I have no idea what type of gravel is being mentioned in the posts. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

Egon /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

EddieWalker · Jun 14, 2006

Walt,

You guys up North have conditions that I've never dealt with, so you build things differently.

For me here in Texas, and before in California, sidewalks were just put on a layer of sand. No gravel needed.

I add a few sticks of 3/8 rebar and make it 3 1/2 inches thick.

I've watched sidewalks go in on new construction and city jobs without rebar or any base material.

Since you already dug it down, look for a base rock that is 3/4 inch rock to fine. It has all sorts of names depending on where you are in the country and what material it's made from. Here we just call it base rock, base limestone, or 3/4 rock.

Eddie

ccdck20hst · Jun 14, 2006

Walt I can't give you a precise answer about grade or type of gravel but I would offer a few thougts. I live over in Goshen about 25 miles more or less probably from you. I guess there is a gravel supplier in Winsted, Mountain Top Trucking, 179 Colebrook River Rd (RT. 8) 379-6487, (they advertise at page 34G in the June 12, 2006 editon of the Foothills Trader the weekly flyer we get for free and the prices seem competeive) and of course there are O & G sites in a couple of places. I think you can eyeball what Mountain Top Trucking sells at Colebrook River Rd. The ad quotes prices for a ten mile delivery radius with a 13 ton minimum. O & G will truck gravel in from all over. O & G has a Masonry Supply Store in Torrington (Wall Street I think as I recall) and they sell gravel products right out of the yard there (as opposed to from the pit over by the Agway store). I think some of the gravel is visible at the Masonry Store so you can eyball it to see what you get under one name. They will sell you 5 gallon buckets of stone dust for those projects where 8 tons was just shy of what was needed! I have purchsed over 50 tons of gravel and stone dust from O & G for my gravel drive and patio. For the drive I used 3/4" Processed with the fines mixed in. Are you pouring concrete for the side walk, putting down asphalt, going with plain gravel or using pavers or blocks? As I recall the way to go is with about 12" or more of 3/4" processed as a base abase and then if you are using pavers a top layer of stone dust (some prefer masnory sand I think about 1" ). Drainage is always a concern with clay present. If I get more gravel delivered for the drive I would have the "fines" left out as I track the fines into the house. Oh the delivery charge from O & G can be high and the trucks from O & G are heavy as heck. Good luck and have fun.

Charlie

johnk · Jun 14, 2006

There's some pics on my website of #2 gravel and fines I had delievered yesterday. I guess #2 means roughly gravel 2" across and so on....The #2's is the general gravel used for GRAVEL driveways with fines added on top to pack into the 2's...

http://users.adelphia.net/~gizmo/

CurlyDave · Jun 15, 2006

Most times I have no idea what type of gravel is being mentioned in the posts.

Sometimes a supplier will have a price list. If you can get one of these it will tell you a lot about what the different products are.

Sometimes they won't give you one (keep the customers confused maybe) and the only way to know is from experience. Seems like a bad idea to me, but it seems to work for them.

WALT · Jun 15, 2006

I was able to contact a friend w/ excavator, who uses these materials often. He reccomended "bedding sand-crusher dust"
of which I had delivered this a.m. It is a screened gravel that is stone free. I filled & compacted the trench and it appears to be good stuff. I won't be doing the walk until fall, and time/rain should continue to settle the material.

CT prices from Canton Village Construction pit:
$18.50 yd. & $30.00 delivery fuel charge.
"Dirt cheap" sure has lost it's meaning.... /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

Thanks for your replies: With TBN down yesterday, I did not check this site until today.

WALT