Need help with Corduroy road

[josephny]

Just curious as I have a similar challenge that you do. I am building a trail through an area that has the designation of 'muck' for soil type. I cut a trail through in late August as that was the driest time however when I tried to get a dozer in, he made a mess for the first 100ft and I told him to back off. I am planning the corduroy road with stones from the walls on my property. Prior to doing so though I was wondering whether I should be removing the peat. Are you removing any of the peat or are you planning to lay your wood slabs right on top? I thought that was a pretty good idea the slabs and would be interested to know how you do as I have a local mill that produces these from pine that people around here use for firewood/kindling.

I will not be going back there to do work until Aug-Sept and I hope this Fall is a dry one that way I can get it all done.

I'm not removing peat -- I was advised that this would be a humoungous job, assuming the peat can easily be 5 to 10 feet deep. And, just as importantly proper fill would need to be put in its place and the water would need to be dealt with.

I think you need to be careful of using stones. The idea is to make a floating path or sorts -- one that will distribute the weight of itself and it's cargo across a large enough area so as not to sink. Rocks won't do that. If you want to use rocks, you'll need geofabric, which was discussed earlier in this thread.

I'll post progress reports, and hopefully pictures, to keep everyone appraised.

 

[josephny]

I would try dropping some larger trees, maybe 10-12 inches in diameter, and place these as stringers under your slab wood. I would place two stringers lengthwise in the direction of the trail. About the width of your ATV tires apart. Cut the slab wood to the desired trail width and lay these perpendictual to the stringers. Nail them down to the stringers with the bark side up. Bark side up might last a little longer. If everything is tied together your trail should float on top of the peat. I have also encounter black peat holes on my ATV. The more you hit them the deeper they get. Early winter or early spring is a good time to drop the stringers and then come back when the weather is good to apply the slab wood.

Whatever the solution, it does sound labour intensive. Good luck.

I can see how dropping stringers and nailing the cross sections would make a better road. It would also increase the labor (and skill) required quite a bit. I'm not sure I'm up to that big of a project.

Bark side up it is! I was thinking about that, debating between a nice smooth flat side up to make a smoother trailer vs. a flat side down creating more surface area to distribute the weight. I didn't even think about the decay aspect. Flat side down is worth it -- Thanks!

The peat holes do seem to be bottomless. I've got one 1200' by 400' that I'm trying to cross -- hence the need for the path :confused2:

 

[josephny]

I agree - lay them down like upside down railroad track. You need to build a floating platform. If it disappears in muck, chances are you can still drive on it and building another upside down track for height.

I thought about the possible need to put another layer on top. The concern is that I'll put the first layer down and it will sink. Then I'll say to myself "no problem, I'll put a second layer and it will be fine." Then I'll put a second layer, and it too will sink.

Another reason I'm contemplating tying them together -- although I don't have a clue how to do that.

 

[Defective]

Monty Python - Swamp Castle - What, the curtains? • VideoSift: Online Video *Quality Control

:laughing:

 

[MikeD74T]

I thought about the possible need to put another layer on top. The concern is that I'll put the first layer down and it will sink. Then I'll say to myself "no problem, I'll put a second layer and it will be fine." Then I'll put a second layer, and it too will sink.

Another reason I'm contemplating tying them together -- although I don't have a clue how to do that.

It won't sink unless you park on it. If the layers aren't wet all the time they'll rot faster. just lay them down, drive over them, & add as necessary. It's easy to overthink corduroy. MikeD74t

 

[josephny]

So I finally got everything coordinated and gave it a shot.

I had about 350 pieces of slab wood delivered (pieces average about 9' long and 9" wide by thicknesses varying from 1/2" to 3").

I hired 5 guys to help me cut them down to 5 and 6' lengths (the varying width of the path), and shuttled load after load with my ATV and little rubbermaid trailer about 4000' back into the woods (through mud, hills, rocks, etc.). Got about 3/4 of the path done before the little rubbermaid broke.

As the path was made, I drove over it with the quad and the trailer to bring the wood to the end of the path. It was a hard and bouncy ride, and occasionally the wood pieces slipped out of place, but we did NOT sink.

So now I've got to figure out how to get the rest of the wood (probably about 120-140 pieces, or about 4,000 lbs) back to the path.

Most of the wood is sitting right on top, while some pieces just sank right in, requiring several layers (those were a very small percentage of the total number).

Here's a picture. I was way too dirty, cold, achey and tired to stop and take a bunch of pictures.

http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh173/joseph-nyc/corduroy4-14-11.jpg

Thanks to everyone so much for the guidance and help with this. I'll post again when there's more progress.

 

[Kyle241]

Very cool! I am thinking of buying some slab wood from my local sawmill as I think it's a good idea. Please add more pics as you go. Are you planning to cover the wood?

 

[crash325]

Looks like you are doing a fine job. Glad to see it working out. Enjoy your almost done new trail. :drink:

 

[MikeD74T]

Looks like you've got a good start. Something to consider in the future, flat side up some will be bumpy, round side up they're all bumpy. If over time if you have access to dirt or gravel, a little will go a long way toward smoothing things out. MikeD74T

 

[josephny]

Thanks guys!

I would indeed like to get it covered, either with dirt or rocks, but at this point I'm stuck on how to get the rest of the wood back there.

I found this trailer - model 7550ATV:

Heavy duty tandem axle ATV trailers for off road use by Country ATV

I think spending $1,000 more on this (on top of of the thousands already spent) would just send my wife right over the top.

Of course, the fantasy continues that I get (or rent) a dozer to smooth out the trails, and a tractor to load the trailer with the rock/dirt.

 

[radioman]

Since the wood is gonna get dirty/muddy, don't bother with trailering it. skidding them to where you need it. If your rubbermaid trailer broke but axles and tow bar is still good, take the body off. Use choking chain or ratchet straps to strap to axles of broken trailer. as long one end is on ground, the weight of wood most of bouncing will be absorbed on ground.

 

[josephny]

Before trailering the wood I thought about skidding (dragging?) wrapped bundles.

The tow bar bent on the trailer.

Think I should just strap bundles together and use a town strap from the quad to one end of the bundle and let the other end drag?

The path goes up hill and down, through mud and dry path and over little hills a ravines.

 

[avatar]

So I finally got everything coordinated and gave it a shot.

I had about 350 pieces of slab wood delivered (pieces average about 9' long and 9" wide by thicknesses varying from 1/2" to 3").

I hired 5 guys to help me cut them down to 5 and 6' lengths (the varying width of the path), and shuttled load after load with my ATV and little rubbermaid trailer about 4000' back into the woods (through mud, hills, rocks, etc.). Got about 3/4 of the path done before the little rubbermaid broke.

As the path was made, I drove over it with the quad and the trailer to bring the wood to the end of the path. It was a hard and bouncy ride, and occasionally the wood pieces slipped out of place, but we did NOT sink.

So now I've got to figure out how to get the rest of the wood (probably about 120-140 pieces, or about 4,000 lbs) back to the path.

Most of the wood is sitting right on top, while some pieces just sank right in, requiring several layers (those were a very small percentage of the total number).

Here's a picture. I was way too dirty, cold, achey and tired to stop and take a bunch of pictures.

http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh173/joseph-nyc/corduroy4-14-11.jpg

Thanks to everyone so much for the guidance and help with this. I'll post again when there's more progress.

I know iam jumping in on this alittle late, but I have had the same problem and solved it using used rail road ties that I brought for $2.00 each. I had them trucked to my place and used a tractor with a fel to lay them in place and then put a good layer of sand on top of them. being treated with creosote they have lasted for years.

 

[josephny]

I know iam jumping in on this alittle late, but I have had the same problem and solved it using used rail road ties that I brought for $2.00 each. I had them trucked to my place and used a tractor with a fel to lay them in place and then put a good layer of sand on top of them. being treated with creosote they have lasted for years.

That's a great solution!

For my situation, however, I don't know if it would work. I don't believe I could find used RR ties around here for $2/each delivered, and even if I could, a 6" tie would be over 800 pieces to lay 400' of trail.

And I don't have a tractor. And the path is 4,000' back into the woods.

 

[boggen]

i am also jumping in late.

if you are going to bring in logs that run parrallel to the trail. and pull them into place with ATV. instead of running over wet muck and getting stuck. walk out to a tree with a pully. and run cable from a log to pulley back to atv. so you can pull log right out into the mud. while atv stays on good ground moving away from the muck. (hope that made sense)

that or winch on atv. so atv stays on good ground.

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on another note. was going to suggest possibly using hardboard styrofoam/insulation. ((2" thick normally pink)) and doubling it up. and basically making a floating dock for a lake. but instead. it would be more of a floating path on mud for ATV.

or getting some 55 gallon drums. instead of hardboard insulation.

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since trailer broke. perhaps making a rock sled. goto local junk yard and find a ""metal"" hood from an old vehicle. flip it upside down. take a chain place bolt in middle and hook it to back of atv. and put hooks of chain in each corner front corner. the slight curve of hood can help keep the sled from digging into the ground and allow it to slide more easily. do not know how bad it would be going over the lumber you how have down now. but *shrugs*

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double check on "craigslist.org" normally you can find small trailers for pull behind smaller size riding lawn mowers, to ATVs. there not the best thing in the world as far as tires. but for little bit of cash. *shrugs*

if it was say a 4" to 10" diameter tree 8 feet plus long. and just strapping a chain on back of ATV and around the log. ok. but a bundle. over ground you are talking about. and amount! i think would be a pain in rear.

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you can rent a mini excavator. fairly cheap, longer you rent it, (as in days) more discount you normally get. they are fairly easy to figure out and use. takes a couple hours of use to get use to them.

you can also get mini tractors with FEL (front end loader with general duty bucket) and perhaps a backhoe on back. at most "machinery rental places" folks rent them for small jobs say in city. were they need to fit through small width gates.

it might sound like a pain, but most folks even city folks can fairly easy figure things out. and if you make time at rental place for them to show you how to work machine. (what control does what, while machine is on, and you are in it)

the "rock sled" i noted earlier in post, excavator w/ thumb, would be awesome. if large rocks you have on property, can be just be picked up and put onto the sled. then after loading just dragged behind to trail. and just do 180 degrees directly on the excavator to pickup and another 180 dregee twist drop in place, repeat. *could do same thing for the lumber you now have* what ever gives you more seat time. vs manual labor is PLUS in my book.

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ask for "seconds" at local hardware stores and lumber yards. seconds are ties (like rail road ties) but are 4x4's, 4x6's, 6x6's that no one wanted when picking through the lumber, for example bark on them, twisted, way to rough cut, etc... most places will give a descent discount on them. local Menard here, gave me a descent price discount a couple years ago. and if you are dealing with local hardware store or lumber yard. most likely you can pay for a delivery fee.

i don't know if they would or not. but if they bring a forklift out to unload. they might be willing to huff things back further. ((might suggest calling local shipping companies, contact local hardware stores , lumber yards)) to see if they have anyone that has a better off road forklift and be willing to do this for perhaps extra fee. my experience is most places contract delievery things out to multi companies. and do not have a dedicated delivery truck type of thing they own directly at least around here. so you might have better chance.

also check "craigslist.org" many times farmers might of had a old wood fence being replaced some times had Rail road ties being used and no longer need them. other times folks are clearing up there land of trees. and have "posts" for sale. granted some times you have to pickup, but perhaps you might find someone willing to deliver. if within a few miles of the given property of yours.

speaking of craigslist.org put a WANTED ad in "farm / garden" and also place sign out by road. and see about some local farmer or person with tractor would be willing to help out for a fee. to tote things back to trail. perhaps not moving stuff clear back to finish trail out. but perhaps to edge of the wet area. granted it would not be a complete solution. but what ever helps and breaking it up into multi goals / steps for completion.

 

[foggy1111]

Google "corduroy roads" and check the pictures. I have a road like that across my swamp and it's made with the geotextile fabric and tamarack logs.....from 6" diameter to 10". Should last a loooong time.

 

[flingwing1969]

Take a look at this video. There is some guidance in there but mostly it is visual but useful.