Re-doing the driveway

[Chugbug]

OK got a question........getting ready to put more 411's (crusher run) down on our 1/4 mile driveway (roughly 120 tons to lay appx. 2" base) but got to thinking about putting crushed asphalt down instead. Was wondering if any of you have used crushed asphalt and what you think of it. Our driveway was laid over 12 years ago with a good base of #2 limestone with 411's (limestone) on top so we have a very hard, packed solid base but we are on flat open fields so the dust can get very bad and this is the main reason for looking at the crushed asphalt but don't know what upkeep it will need. Any help would be appreciated

 

[enterprisebbc]

OK got a question........getting ready to put more 411's (crusher run) down on our 1/4 mile driveway (roughly 120 tons to lay appx. 2" base) but got to thinking about putting crushed asphalt down instead. Was wondering if any of you have used crushed asphalt and what you think of it. Our driveway was laid over 12 years ago with a good base of #2 limestone with 411's (limestone) on top so we have a very hard, packed solid base but we are on flat open fields so the dust can get very bad and this is the main reason for looking at the crushed asphalt but don't know what upkeep it will need. Any help would be appreciated

I had the crushed asphalt put down last fall on my 900' drive with a hill that I had burms on. They used a vib roller to compact it. Since then there has been many heavy rains ect with no affect on it. Hard as nails and no grass growing in the center. Wish I had done that 30 years ago. No wash out or dust

 

[Deano]

I had the crushed asphalt put down last fall on my 900' drive with a hill that I had burms on. They used a vib roller to compact it. Since then there has been many heavy rains ect with no affect on it. Hard as nails and no grass growing in the center. Wish I had done that 30 years ago. No wash out or dust

I concur. As long as you don't have other traffic constantly using it, it will do great! We live on a private road and the first .2 mile is millings. When it gets sun on it, it gets like asphalt, but when it gets a pothole...its like asphalt. So when we grade the rest of the mile ling road, you can't grade it.
But if it a personal drive, it will work great...or did I already say that??!!

Deano

 

[AStanton]

I think what you are talking about, they call "millings" in my neck of the woods. It's the ground up asphalt they take from public highways when they redo them. My neighbor had it done on his driveway a few years back. It gets the job done, but doesn't look finished enough for me.

 

[Egon]

Depending on budget go with the Millings. Just be aware that Millings may have different Asphalt contents and properties which may make a difference in final use.

 

[jmc]

I've got 1000 feet of asphalt that is broken up enough that it may need to be removed. Do they ever just grind it up on site and reuse it right there?

 

[RDrancher]

Depending on budget go with the Millings. Just be aware that Millings may have different Asphalt contents and properties which may make a difference in final use.

Exactly.

Asphalt companies are pretty much all using millings recycled into their new asphalt mixes, so it's not a throw-away material like it used to be. The material that they WILL sell to the public can range from excellent to junk. I've seen quite a few loads with more ground up dirt mixed in than I would be comfortable selling to my customers. I've also spread and compacted some very nice material.

Edited to add: The best millings are generated when the asphalt is not ground to full depth onsite. Like when they're grinding to resurface. Asphalt that is ground to full depth or removed, hauled away and ground elsewhere is typically full of soil. In my area that soil is clay and that's not a good thing.

I would take a look at the material before I ordered loads, that's for sure.

You also need to re-grade the base for uniform thickness, especially in areas of high clay content in the soil below. The base material needs to be compacted as well. When compacting millings with a roller, thin spots will start to "pump". It's pretty easy to over compact millings as well. You'll see it start to develop micro-cracks where the edge of the compactor meets the material.

Just some things to think about.

 

[Red Horse]

Everyone has given you good points. I'll add my two cents. It is great stuff-just make sure you rent a vib roller. and there is not the greatest consistancy, unless you can get it right from the milling machine on a road job-in other words, goes in the truck and then to your job and condition that with the fact they are doing a relatively shallow cut.

My supplier of choice stopped selling straight millings-they have created a new product using asphalt shingles, ground concrete and millings. I picked up a load this past week and I'm about to go out and spread it-and compact it. reason for this is they obviously figure they can make a bigger profit working less desireable product into it. The wife by the way is NOT happy--"you are going to have your grandkids walk on that?? etc." (supposedly they pull nails out of the shingles using magnets when they process them)

Report tonite!

 

[Chugbug]

Our driveway is a private drive but we have 2 other homes who use it as well. We've sat down already and they will be sharing the cost so our drive gets regular use, will the millings stand up to the use. The main thing I'm looking for is durability and getting rid of the dust. As I said before our property is flat as a board and we always have a breeze / wind blowing and we hate the dust

 

[Egon]

That is a question only answered by the budget and how well the work is planned.

 

[don white]

I have seen driveways topped with millings and I am not really a fan. The advantage of gravel or modified is that when it becomes uneven and you get a hump in the middle you can fix it. I don't think you will be able to do anything with the millings.

 

[rsewill]

I've got 1000 feet of asphalt that is broken up enough that it may need to be removed. Do they ever just grind it up on site and reuse it right there?

Not exactly. You can sometimes see a paving 'train' that mills, mixes (with fresh oil added), and lays it back down using a paving machine. They can be about a hundred yards long. But they don't (to my knowledge) mill down to the base, just the top overlay or two. In your case they would mill it, then blade the millings instead of running it into a paver. Milling isn't cheap and mobilization for it is expensive, even with the small machines. It would be far cheaper to have your road picked up with a front end loader and hauled out in trucks that would back haul millings.

 

[jmc]

Thanks, rsewill.