ampsucker
Platinum Member
regarding the original question #2, as pointed out, most quarries (all that i'm aware of, actually) sell by the ton. the cubic feet per ton vary by moisture level, compaction, size of rock, dirty or clean, etc. in fact, if you can, it's best to buy your rock during the driest time of the year so you'll get more actual rock and less water.
a typical triple axle dump truck "can" haul 14-18 cubic yards. however, the DOT is going to limit them to a certain weight and even if they didn't most drivers won't haul a full load since if they have any experience, they have already bought several windshields for the cars their rocks hit falling off the truck. so, you'll get a pile much smaller than the truck can physically carry.
then, once they dump the pile, it's NOT compacted. it's loose. the proper way to build a road base with "dirty" white rock (with fines) is to spread it, wet it, then compact it. compaction CAN be as easy as driving over it repeatedly with a car or something else heavy, or you can use proper equipment. figure on about a 20-30% reduction in thickness after compaction. so, make sure you spread it deeper than you actually need before compacting. wetting it is very important. don't skip that step if it's possible.
the short answer - i agree with the previous poster: a LOT more than you think you'll need. for estimation, we did about an 1/8 of a mile with 10 full size trucks. width was probably close to 12 feet and depth was just a couple of inches once compacted.
i would also recommend a simple request that will save you a lot of time assuming you don't have any branches or utility wires over your road. when you call the quarry for delivery, request an EXPERIENCED driver who knows how to properly spread with his truck. a good driver can lay down a layer of rock that is within an inch or two of your target thickness by setting his gate properly and driving and dumping at the correct speeds. this is not rocket science, but it's also not easy to do well unless you know your equipment. having it done correctly will save you a lot of effort in relocating the rock evenly over the road bed.
amp
a typical triple axle dump truck "can" haul 14-18 cubic yards. however, the DOT is going to limit them to a certain weight and even if they didn't most drivers won't haul a full load since if they have any experience, they have already bought several windshields for the cars their rocks hit falling off the truck. so, you'll get a pile much smaller than the truck can physically carry.
then, once they dump the pile, it's NOT compacted. it's loose. the proper way to build a road base with "dirty" white rock (with fines) is to spread it, wet it, then compact it. compaction CAN be as easy as driving over it repeatedly with a car or something else heavy, or you can use proper equipment. figure on about a 20-30% reduction in thickness after compaction. so, make sure you spread it deeper than you actually need before compacting. wetting it is very important. don't skip that step if it's possible.
the short answer - i agree with the previous poster: a LOT more than you think you'll need. for estimation, we did about an 1/8 of a mile with 10 full size trucks. width was probably close to 12 feet and depth was just a couple of inches once compacted.
i would also recommend a simple request that will save you a lot of time assuming you don't have any branches or utility wires over your road. when you call the quarry for delivery, request an EXPERIENCED driver who knows how to properly spread with his truck. a good driver can lay down a layer of rock that is within an inch or two of your target thickness by setting his gate properly and driving and dumping at the correct speeds. this is not rocket science, but it's also not easy to do well unless you know your equipment. having it done correctly will save you a lot of effort in relocating the rock evenly over the road bed.
amp
