Making a Tractor Road - I've got questions

[Ken45101]

Would you just put the rip rap down on the dirt and add the gravel on top? Won't that all just sink into the clay?

Big enough rock and it will sink a bit and lock together until it is good and solid. Look at railroad ballast.

Ken

 

[k0ua]

Well David you have gotten a lot of good info and ideas.. I will add my "what would I do".. I would just get some 3 to 4 inch rock. and lay it in the wet spots especially near that pond and let some go in the pond and build it up there. I would move the road a little if you could, but from what you said you cannot move it much. I would top the 3-4 inch with 1 to 2 inch rock. I would make that spot hump up a little to now be a high spot and also put a little more rock toward the pond side to build it up more, so that a vehicle would tilt away from the pond slightly. If I had the culverts I would put them in, by the methods already outlined. It would not take long. But I would not spend any real money for them as I feel the large rock will work by itself to let water flow thru. From my point of view this is not a big deal, and with some proper sized rock could all be fixed in minutes. I keep stockpiles of different sized rock and gravel for repairs around here all the time..I have bought thousands of dollars of rocks.. which is ironic since about all we have around here for dirt is rocks! So that is my idea of the solution. I would get a 7 ton load of 3 to 4 inch and a load of 1 to 2 inch rock to put on top you should have enough to fix all of the mud holes plus more for future use. Good luck with it David

James K0UA

 

[MossflowerWoods]

Can I use old broken bricks?

I also have some large 4-8" rocks laying around...

David

 

[TripleR]

Well David you have gotten a lot of good info and ideas.. I will add my "what would I do".. I would just get some 3 to 4 inch rock. and lay it in the wet spots especially near that pond and let some go in the pond and build it up there. I would move the road a little if you could, but from what you said you cannot move it much. I would top the 3-4 inch with 1 to 2 inch rock. I would make that spot hump up a little to now be a high spot and also put a little more rock toward the pond side to build it up more, so that a vehicle would tilt away from the pond slightly. If I had the culverts I would put them in, by the methods already outlined. It would not take long. But I would not spend any real money for them as I feel the large rock will work by itself to let water flow thru. From my point of view this is not a big deal, and with some proper sized rock could all be fixed in minutes. I keep stockpiles of different sized rock and gravel for repairs around here all the time..I have bought thousands of dollars of rocks.. which is ironic since about all we have around here for dirt is rocks! So that is my idea of the solution. I would get a 7 ton load of 3 to 4 inch and a load of 1 to 2 inch rock to put on top you should have enough to fix all of the mud holes plus more for future use. Good luck with it David

James K0UA

I have three rock piles on hand; 6", 2" and 1" and have used that combination to fix a lot of stuff around our farms.

I can identify with being surrounded by rocks and having to buy them anyway. We have several hundred acres and have had to haul dirt in.:laughing:

 

[Ken45101]

Can I use old broken bricks?

I also have some large 4-8" rocks laying around...

David

Preferably you want crushed rock. Round rocks (if that's what you have) will not lock together like crushed rock. Round rocks (or flat rocks) will keep moving around and will not likely provide a stable base.

Ken

 

[TripleR]

Can I use old broken bricks?

I also have some large 4-8" rocks laying around...

David

We used several truck loads because they were free, but they don't work as well as rock.

 

[MossflowerWoods]

Guys,

Update. I've begun the widening. I've added almost a foot at the narrowest and actually straightened it out a bit. I've added a couple NOW pics for comparison. I've got a 7' pipe section, but I have a much longer one I need to fish out of the brambles and cut to size that I think will work better.

I used the ratchet rake and bare bucket so far. I need some sort of blade I suspect...

How am I doing?

Be well,

David

PS - The last pic is my supervisor... she LOVES riding on the "Big Ractor"... actually she says tractor now...