New Driveway and Polebarn

[PineRidge]

Rswyan I was following this project but haven't seen any progress posted here since January, how's the pole barn coming along? Any new pictures to show?

 

[rswyan]

Mike,

Come on now ...... I know I haven't posted any updates .... but you have been over here and seen the progress !!! ...... it's filling up with my junk !

Seriously, my thoughts have been turning to the polebarn lately ..... I at least want to get drainage and approach finished before the weather turns bad this fall ..... that way I could at least park something in it.

I should have a 2x2x2 catchbasin delivered later today for the northside of the building ...... so I'm not totally slacking off.

 

[PineRidge]

Slacker? with all the jobs you have going at once a slacker is the last thing I would call you. Busier than a one-armed paper hanger you are....

 

[rswyan]

Thanks Mike.

Yup I've gotten side-tracked into alot of other things. However with fall rapidly approaching my attention is starting to turn to getting those things done on the polebarn that need doing before the weather turns really bad.

I haven't been totally idle on the barn - just have't posted or uploaded any pics - which I will do relatively shortly.

One of the things I need to do is get the gravel for under the slab in and spread and levelled. I'm a bit up in the air on this, on what type of gravel to use and seeking opinions.

I have seen posts on TBN where some recommend using a gravel that will drain well - I take this to mean something like washed #57 (no fines) - which I have a fairly significant quanity of lying around .... although it has gotten somewhat dirty from being moved place to place as we had to work around it. It's still usable for drainage (IMHO) and I do have other uses for it besides the grade below the slab.

I've also seen posts where others recommend an unwashed gravel with lots of fines - presumably so that it will compact and lock in well. I don't have any of this laying around but I can get #310 (1/2" to fines) - and it is less than 1/2 the cost of the washed #57's that I do have (actually about 1/3 less when you add in delivery costs which are the same.)

Both of these gravels are crushed products - lots of angular material which should lock into place when compacted, although I'd assume that the #310 would lock in better.

I need to fill a 42' x 72' area to a depth of 5" to 9" I'd guess.

The pad area is a combination of undisturbed clay and areas of compacted clay fill - it's been setting for almost a year now. I know that the area inside the barn that was filled is still somewhat moist in some spots (was trenching in there in the last few days for floor drains) - the rest of it fairly dry.

Anyways, for those that are willing to chime in, what type do you prefer/recommend and why ?

 

[PineRidge]

Rswyan when they built our barn they used the 57s over a vapor barrier and compacted the whole with a plate compactor. The crete followed. It has held up better than the crete that was poured in our basement.

I would recommend to never let anyone add calcium chloride to your crete. Get it poured before freezing weather arrives.

 

[rswyan]

Mike,

Thanks. IIRC, they used unwashed 57's with fines, correct ?

Yeah, no cal choride for me - anyways, I don't think that by the time I get around to getting it poured that the weather will be much of a problem.

 

[rswyan]

After reviewing a number of threads having to do with concrete slabs, I've decided to go with washed gravel. That works out well as I had a good amount of it on hand and already in the barn - just had to spread it out ..... although I will need some more to finish filling it.

I have two more pieces of 4" SDR35 to glue up and place and then the floor drains will all be done. Hopefully have some pics tomorrow.

 

[rswyan]

This is what happens when you trench more than you can possibly complete in a day. Take it from me - don't do it ! You just end up creating far more work for yourself in the long run.

Since the barn was cut into grade I tried to get a french drain system installed around the barn last year (Oct/Nov) before they actually started to put up the barn, as well as trenching for the utilities (water, gas, electric). And then it started to rain ..... and rain .... and rain. The exposed clay quickly into a mess making it impossible to work with equipment, and the trenches began collapsing. I would have been much better off just waiting until this summer to even start it. Now I have wasted time/effort situation, and work that I get to do a second time.

If ya plan on opening a trench make sure that you can close it the same day - unless you are totally certain that you will have good weather for a certain period of time. That's probably the best thing that I have learned on this project.

 

[rswyan]

Later today I'll call the guy that will be doing the gutters and downspounts and tell him it's a go. It will take about a week before he gets the material and comes out to start.

There will be two 72' runs of 6" seamless gutter with two down spouts per side (front and back). It's not cheap, but like the wife said .... maybe better to not go with the cheapest sometimes.

The first photo that is attached shows the amount of erosion in the front of the barn that has occurred since last December as a result of no gutters and downspouts (and no gravel on the pad in front.) I estimate it to be around 5" to 6".

The second photo shows more erosion on the back side of the barn. I'll be removing the two trees to the right in the photo and widening the cut into hillside as well as grading it so it isn't quite as steep. The grade above this area (to the rear and to the right in the image) drains towards the polebarn. I've partially built up a diversion bank on the top to redirect the runoff around the barn - still have to finish that up though.

 

[rswyan]

First two attached images are of the border area between our yard and the drive down to the polebarn after it was cleared and cleaned up (thanks to PineRidge for the grapple work) and after we had transplanted some shrubs (2 arborvitae, 2 spruce, 3 azeleas, and 1 rhododendron)

These shrubs were around our pool in back of the house and needed to be transplanted because they were too crowded and they were in the way of the work that we need to do to the back of the house and pool area.

The third image is looking north into the border area (on left in image) from the polebarn before it was cleared and the transplanting done.