Grading How would you fix this road?? (w/pics)

[Jay4200]

Our central Texas property has a 1000-foot road made with "road base" which is basically a layer of crushed limestone. When we bought the place a year ago, it was a really nice, flat, smooth dirt road. After two houses were built, all the heavy truck traffic packed down the fine material in the ruts so these bigger rocks are sticking up all over, and the road has acquired a fairly high center. Some of the rocks stick up 3 or 4 inches, very unhealthy for the tires on my wife's car.

I just finished re-doing 1100 feet of road this summer. Re-graded/re-crowned - pulled all the rocks, than spread 6" of hardpack. I spent many days pulling rocks out of the road and the grounds (~1/2 acre). I graded with my FEL, and had my wife on the ground (wielding a hoe and shovel) as my rock picker. Whenever she hit something she couldn't budge, I'd swing by and pop it with my backhoe. Give the wife a pickaxe and let her go to town for a week popping out anything she thinks is sticking up too high.

Up here, I have to worry about sucking rocks into my snowblower, and the rocks you leave will eventually grow (NH's biggest crop) and come through the surface. I disagree with our friend from Canada - I pull out everything bigger than a golf ball if I can see it. HOWEVER, you guys down there don't have freeze/thaw conditions, so your rocks won't grow.

I wouldn't buy anything new for the tractor. I'd scrape the road lightly using my FEL, and use it to pop out anything that was sticking up more than an inch or so. Between that and the wife's pickaxe, you'll be all set in short order. Then I'd hit it with a landscape rake. If the road surface is really hard, which it might be, the rake won't do much. Your road looks reasonably crowned though, so all you need is a surface dressing. I'd probably bring in a few loads of material to make it purdy, but it doesn't look like that is necessary for your road, unless you can't break the surface with your rake. You'd need roughly 100 yards of material to give it a 2-3" top coat. If the road is rutted or improperly crowned, then you'll probably need a blade to re-crown, although a rake works fine for that too, provided the surface is soft enough.

JayC

 

[Gordon Gould]

What ever you do good luck. Please let us know how you did it and how it came out so we can all learn from your experience. Before and after pictures would be great.

 

[Zork]

I read a few replies and did not have time to read all of them so I do not know if this is not needed. Here is an excellent site on attachments and how to operate them.

How To Video Demos - Implements & Attachments

enjoy.

 

[Egon]

Another Canadian reports in!:thumbsup:

Consider hiring a real Grader to rework your road. He'll scarify or rip it all first. Then he will pull material from the side slopes. Next he rolls a large windrow from one side to another till he figures he's down about six inches and got all the big rocks in motion and the road is smooth and even with no little dips and hollows. Then he makes successive passes laying out the windrow and ensures there is a crown on the road. Note that the big rocks will stay in the windrow. When he's down to very little windrow he'll work the rocks to one side and make a faster pass to kick them all off the into the ditch. Then it's back to making some passes to get the final finish and crown on the road.

[ If he was working on a large job there would be a water truck and packer[roller and/or vibratory] that follow his commands as he is laying out the windrows.]

Now consider what equipment will best give you this scenario and give it a try.:thumbsup:

 

[jenkinsph]

I think I would pull in the fines from the edge of the road with a rearblade and then run the landscape rake over this to smooth the road out again. I suspect that the heavy truck traffic has spread these fines towards the edges of the drive and they need to be put back in place.

With the road narrowed a bit I would consider adding 3/4 to fines on top of the road and smooth it out with about 50 yards of material. This can be added as money allows.

There are certainly better ways to work this but with a limited stable of implements I think this would be your best bet.

With my equipment I would rip the entire drive down with my boxblade first, then run the rock bucket through the drive gathering the larger rocks to remove leaving the small stuff. Then shape the road again from side to side with the rear blade. Then dress it up with the grader/landplane and roll and pack it with a heavy truck.

 

[beppington]

I agree with rekees4300 & sms0000: Don't tear up that good base you have. If you do, you might look back some day wonderin' what the heck you were thinkin' Larger rocks make a good base.

I'd add smaller material on top of it, & then you can either box blade or rear blade it smooth.

 

[beppington]

I think I would pull in the fines from the edge of the road ...

Judging by the pics, I don't think I see any fines, really. Looks like a pretty hard-packed road bed with a lot of larger limerock rocks mixed in. Seems any attempt to drag fines (if there are any) would dislodge the big rocks, not the best thing, to me.

 

[JDGreenGrass]

If you go and "dig" that nice road up you will be left with those 5" to 10" rocks right up on top, sitting pretty.

You've got a nice road there and you do not want to get rid of the big rocks.

What you need is some gravel hauled in....no bigger than 1". Simply spread the new material leaving that nice crown right down the middle. You'll want enough gravel hauled in to leave 3" or 4"s up on top.

You can do this with a FEL and rear blade easily. A box blade would do a good job too though I have never used a box blade. I use a rear blade to maintain my drive.

Once you get that new gravel in place it will not "disappear." It will drift off to the edges over time at which point you can "maintain" the drive by simply bringing the material along the edges back to form the crown again.

If you upset those big rocks you will need 12" of 1" gravel the entire length of your drive. DON"T DO THAT.!!

Like I said...You have a great road. Put some material on top and just maintain it through the years.

No cheap way out of this deal.

 

[JDGreenGrass]

I think I would pull in the fines from the edge of the road with a rearblade and then run the landscape rake over this to smooth the road out again. I suspect that the heavy truck traffic has spread these fines towards the edges of the drive and they need to be put back in place.

With the road narrowed a bit I would consider adding 3/4 to fines on top of the road and smooth it out with about 50 yards of material. This can be added as money allows.

There are certainly better ways to work this but with a limited stable of implements I think this would be your best bet.

With my equipment I would rip the entire drive down with my boxblade first, then run the rock bucket through the drive gathering the larger rocks to remove leaving the small stuff. Then shape the road again from side to side with the rear blade. Then dress it up with the grader/landplane and roll and pack it with a heavy truck.

Steve...Don't you think he would run the risk of coming up too low if he removes the large rocks.??

 

[/pine]

What you need is some gravel hauled in....no bigger than 1". Simply spread the new material leaving that nice crown right down the middle. You'll want enough gravel hauled in to leave 3" or 4"s up on top.

As has been pointed out in many other threads on similar topics...GEOGRAPHY (and local materials) make a huge difference in cause and effect...

If you did the above (cited quote) on the road I maintain here in N.E. GA in a matter of weeks you would end up with three rows of (new) gravel...one in the middle and one on either side of where tires track which would be two ruts back down to the existing compacted base...

Not being in Texas or experienced with the material and conditions there I can't comment on what this (cited) technique would do there but I suspect that it could be as drastically different between here and there as it is between there and in Maine or anywhere else in the N.E US...