Spraying asphalt millings with diesel fuel. Results vs Theory

[toyotadriver]

I am a little bit in shock at you being allowed to spread 15 gallons of diesel on what looks like a suburban driveway. Around here insurance companies are going nuts over fuel spills, forcing people to build concrete posts around their home heating oil tank and put covers over the outlet valve to protect it from getting broken by falling ice in the winter. This is because any tank that spills a few gallons of fuel usually results is someone with an excavator digging up half the yard and hauling it away, then replacing it with new soil. The cost is high enough that insurance is often involved, so they then pass rules to protect the tank and will not insure you unless you meet their requirements. Meanwhile half the time the cause of the spill was some crackhead cutting off the copper pipe to get a couple dollars for the scrap value, at the same time being too addled to turn off the valve before he cuts the pipe.

That said, how the heck do you get away with spraying 15 gallons of diesel on your driveway without your neighbours losing their minds? Your driveway is attached directly to their lawn. There must have been some runoff.

The environazis have pushed a lot of junk science. The OP isn't hurting anything.

 

[screamin400]

Screamin,

Are you still here and willing to update with your level of success?

Not impressed at all with the millings so far. Turned my tractor tires a few days ago and left marks. Great for snowblowing on but that is about it. I will be rolling it again in the spring to see if that helps but I will not be doing any installs with millings.

 

[Redlands Okie]

Thanks for the info

 

[screamin400]

I will leave you guys with this idea. If this does not harden I may look into something to spray on it that will help set it up and then I will till it and put it back down. Redneck? Yes. I like the idea.

 

[Streetcar]

Screamin 400
There are industrial rototiller that mix in additional asphalt with grindings and that mixture is compacted.
Otherwise you are painting gravel, it may look good initially but it is not durable.

 

[bluelou212]

What do you think they do when they build roads? They dump lots of oil on the ground.

There is nothing hazardous about what the OP is doing.

"They dump lots of oil on the ground." Sorry, you have no idea what you're talking about. But, I think it might be a good thing for _you_ to try. Get a few barrels of fuel oil and dump it on your asphalt driveway. You'll be amazed at what will happen, LMAO.

 

[Redlands Okie]

If the millings have a lot of adhesive left in them then a very light mist of diesel could help emulsify and bind the asphalt together. Overall probably not a preferred way to do so.

 

[Peter 315]

Too much fuel will wash off all the emulsion, And you will have just rocks

 

[texas42]

Worked in the asphalt industry for many years. Years ago we used diesel fuel to clean truck bodies, paver, etc. But it was found the diesel weakened the asphalt. Many agencies outlawed the use of diesel in truck bodies since it weakened the asphalt and the runoff was environmentally bad.
Bottom line - Diesel makes asphalt softer and weaker.

 

[TMGT]

I have a bit of experience with millings, as stated diesel doesn't help and actually can make it worse.
It's really up to the luck of the draw with milling, the older "dryer" they are the less they'll bond and it can vary load to load.

We're slowly changing the gravel roads in my community over to millings and have some area where the millings will bond and some don't. Some areas look like asphalt after a summer of driving on it.

Heat and compaction are your best friend, and hopefully it's a fresh batch.