To geo or not to geo - another driveway question

[5030tinkerer]

So...I am putting in a circle drive and will have it paved next year. This year, though, I want the drive to get settled in and used some to make a solid foundation for the concrete. The question is whether there is value in putting a geotextile fabric down under the gravel base to aid the concrete later or whether I am just wasting time and money. I am looking at a woven geotextile, like US 200 - Driveway Fabric - US Fabrics. The geo suppliers all say it is better, but I am seeing grading issues with my existing drive where it got thin over the years and then a scarifier hits a section and makes a huge mess. By the time I add 6-8" of rock or more to not have this issue, I have spent so much in base as to make you question whether installing it was a good idea.

Of course, then there is the final grade conversation. By the time that you add 6" of rock, and knowing that the concrete will be at least 4" and maybe 6"...well, that's a whole lot of excavation.

Thoughts?

 

[fishheadbob]

4 years ago I put in 2 driveways. One got Geotextiled, one didn't. The one that got the geo took a little less stone to make it nice, but more importantly the geo'd one is a little smoother with far less settling into minor depressions - i don't want to say ruts, they're nowhere near that big. If I were you I'd talk to your potential concrete guys and see what they have to say, and what they prefer working with.

 

[boggen]

only dig down as far as you need to dig down and never more than that. trying to add dirt/fill back in = settling issues.

water = major issue with all driveways. and that is making sure water runs off the driveway, and then runs away form the driveway. water that puddles up near driveway = trouble for driveway short and long term.

everyone has different soil, and your driveway most likely going to see a few different soil conditions over the overall length of it. some soils support better loads than others.

if your local rock query is nearby, and devilry is not that much... pour on the rock. would by my suggestion. but better yet, make sure you deal with WATER before anything else! water doesn't care about geo texitles, rocks, concrete, pavement. it effects them all. get ditches in, re-landscape around driveway to get the water to move away from it.

some folks can simply put in slight ditches in around driveway, others due to hills, may need to line ditches with some rock to keep water washing dirt away, others may need some culverts to get water to other side of driveway, some may need install a french drain like setup, and hopefully some place nearby to run a pipe to lower ground. some may need to bring in fill dirt / rock and build driveway up above surrounding ground. some folks may have scrape away a good amount of ugly soil say black fertilizer dirt... and bring in some better fill.

dirt / gravel roads = if they are wet, try not drive on them. more so if you just did a large re grading, as they begin to dry, run over them a little bit to help compact them. (your not making ruts). as the driveway drys, the driveway gets firmer. also REDUCE your SPEED! dirt/gravel driveways do not like high speeds. the undercarriage / suspension of a vehicle will beat the dirt/gravel road to death the faster you go! creating pot holes, wash board effect, ruts, etc... slow and steady and a slight wetness lets rocks and dirt move slowly into locking meshes, that will help support the weight of the vehicle.

spend your time/money on dealing with getting water away from the driveway before anything else!