Prices on driveway paving

[Fuddyduddy1952]

Bought the place in 1980 with 500 ft. gravel drive, it's almost level. After about 15 years after garage built I had asphalt paved back then about $6,500, they paved drive and garage area total 8,000 sq.ft.
I had it repaved a year ago, drive a bit wider so 8,500 sq. ft. picture shows close to end near house. $24K. I recently had it sealcoated $6,500 what original paving cost. It's the best thing I ever did. The house floors stay clean, no gravel dust. We roll carts on it almost daily. Unless we get over a foot of snow I hand shovel...it's so easy.

 

[Streetcar]

There are several types of permeable concrete and asphalt. The most common type would be FC-5; which is what you see on the top lift of high speed roadways. You Don't want that. It doesn't hold up well to turning movements, and it has to be placed on a normal SP type asphalt, and it's expensive, and not good for handwork.

The other types of permeable asphalt typically don't hold up well to extremes in heat, so its not really used down here, I know it exists but I've never seen it.

I've seen permeable concrete, but not widely. What I've seen more in that use case, is open grid blocks, with grass or aggregate in the center 'void' of the paver blocks. This is mostly about reducing the imperiable surface area, for drainage permitting.

For more common, hot mix, asphalts; there are dozens of mix designs;
For broud capagories:
Marshall Mixes; an older type, no longer used on roads, but a bit cheaper than Super Pave, many plants no longer make this; it's cheaper, and would be fine for a driveway
S-1; uses 1/2" max sized aggregate
S-3; uses 3/8"

Super Pave; the modern common class; a good ware resistant, general purpose asphalt
SP-9.5 9.5mm rock (3/8")
SP-12.5 12.5mm rock (1/2")
SP-19 19mm rock (3/4")
SP-25 25mm rock (1") never actually seen this, but it does exist in Georgia

Friction (closed grade), a wear resistant, good traction, top lift of asphalt for roadways
FC-9.5; has additional polymer binders, that improve vehicle traction; 9.5mm rock
FC-12.5

Friction (open grade)
FC-5; this is a different material; where you specifically don't have a lot of different rock sizes, so it creates kinda a somewhat open web of rock/binder; allowing great traction, and allows water to kinda run through the voids; used on 55mph plus; where there isn't turning movements; so primarily 4 lane roads

Each of these is made in multiple traffic levels (ie ware resistance). Traffic Level-B should be a typical low speed, county/city road, and Traffic Level-C would be a state road. Traffic Level-D might be used in port loading areas/major trucking distribution centers, and other extreme environments.

Typically smaller rock will resist rutting less, but will have a nicer, smoother, ride and appearance

So, a fairly typical roadway paving;
State Road; 2.5" of Sp-12.5 and then 1.5" of FC-12.5
County Road (minor and/or low speed) 1.5" SP-12.5
County Road (major and/or high speed) 2" SP-12.5 and then 1" FC-9.5

You typically can't lay asphalt thinner than 2.5x the max aggregate size (so, 9.5mm would be min of 1"; 12.5mm would be a min. lift of 1.5"), at the same time, you wouldn't want to lay more than maybe 1.5" of 9.5mm per lift, or 2.5" of 12.5mm, but you could go to something like 3-3.5" of a 19mm mix.

There are also cold mix asphalts, that use a solvent instead of heat to keep the asphalt cement liquid/flexible, this is what you see in bags at home depot, but it is also sold by the ton at some batch plants. It's Far from ideal for anything other than patching; but I've heard of special designs being used in India/Alaska.

Recently, there is a new type of patching asphalt, called Aquaphalt; its like $80 for a 3 gal bucket; but it uses an organic polymere that is activated by water; so you can dump it straight in a water filled pot hole. So far, it seems like a better product than any existing 'cold patch'.

There has been work with 100% recycled asphalt; where they heat straight millings upto like 500 degrees F, and get them to somewhat bond. It's been used for shoulder drop offs, and other places where you don't really Need true asphalt, and it is cheaper. This is not a replacement for real asphalt, as it was milled up cause the AC (asphaltic cement) content is low, and then you burnt out more of it, super heating it.

Chip Seal; type spray a liquid AC on the base, then spread a single layer of 1/2" or 3/8" graded washed rock on the Hot AC, and then Traffic roll it (rubber tired roller). They then can add another layer or even 2 layers on top of that.

Micro Pave or Microsurfacing; (never done this, but did some reading) is very similar to chip seal; but used asphalt emulsions, with added polymers instead of straight AC.

Good comments .
Modified Marshall mix is still common in Ohio especially on low volume roads and driveways.
Micro surfacing is more of maintenance item for existing roads, very good at extending pavement life.
open graded asphalt is also used on hills to prevent freezing of surface water

 

[Egon]

There are designed sand/gravel mixes for soil cement that can be spread by screed type equipment or bladed equipment. It requires packing and is usually paved over.

Don’t forget that Florida asphalt will be different in design than Montana asphalt.

Pavers are no different than other coverings in that they need a proper base to sit on. Frost heaves and other such damaged small areas are an easy fix. They can be layed by machine.

 

[needmoredirt]

N. TX. About 35 cubic yards (???) - roughly 18'x200'x2.5" plus some pad. Old gravel drive needed to be scraped/leveled.

Outfit that did the work seemed like a larger, local, commercial type.

$15K 2 years ago.

It could use a little crack repair and seal, quotes go from $1-4k, cost spread seems odd for a paint job.

I know nothing about it, kinda like my tractor, they both seem to work fine.

 

[BigBlue1]

Did a 3" asphalt overlay on top of a older asphalt driveway in 2020. Driveway is about 600' long and 10' wide for most of it, with flare out at the road side and a 'funnel' shaped parking area maybe 50' wide at the house side. I think it ended up around 6000 sq ft, though I could be remembering wrong. No grading or other work besides the application of overlay. Cost $17k. It was a lot of money but it is a big driveway. I think the cost to remove existing pavement and pave fresh was going to be in the mid 20k range.

 

[paulsharvey]

@Forest_Man this is one of the threads I mentioned. No idea if using the At system sends you a notification or who this works.

 

[Forest_Man]

@Forest_Man this is one of the threads I mentioned. No idea if using the At system sends you a notification or who this works.

It actually worked! I never done this on a forum either!

Pretty cool! Thank you!

 

[Forest_Man]

A crown or an inverted drive (minor V) to channel water either off the drive or channeled down the center, to where you have drainage structures. I prefer a crown, unless there is a good reason to capture the water.

On a 10feet road running parallel to a mountain, would something like this work?

 

[paulsharvey]

On a 10feet road running parallel to a mountain, would something like this work?

View attachment 867974

Yes. Two or three points to think about though.

That ditch on the uphill side; if it's a long continous slope, your going to need to control water velocity, with ditch block, rip rap, disapator blocks, ect, or your channeling a huge volume, and velocity of water into a very narrow area, and will have erosion issues

The down hill side; your gonna want the area of improved road to extend beyond your wheel path, and then stabalize that with some kinda vegetation, ie seed and straw.

Depending on your landscape, topo, ect, you might need to get that water from your hillside ditch to the other side; so that means pipe (or a concrete lined swale crossing the drive). If you use pipe; go bigger and longer than you think. Dont use 4" flex pipe; I'm talking about an actual culvert. You want atleast 4-6 ft from the edge of the cross drain to the driving surface. No fun to find the edge on a rainy night with a trailer...

 

[paulsharvey]

Maybe I wasn't really clear, the picture you shared is Basically correct, except that where the hill slope meets the inside of your drive, your going to need to create a dirtch/swale that keeps the water from running down your driving surface.

 

[Joel/ak]

Good info to ponder I got a wrap around drive and just in front of the garage, an area about 24x30 is all washboard.

It's a water issue since both sides of the wraparound are down hill.

Years ago I got water to move but damage has been done.

That section needs to be replaced. Thought about concrete but not sure which way to go

Learned alot from here on this thread. Thanks

 

[paulsharvey]

BTW, my little sketch, I know those slopes are extremes, I just drew it that way to better illustrate what I was trying to show; I hope your not working with that kinda slope

 

[Forest_Man]

Yes. Two or three points to think about though.

Depending on your landscape, topo, ect, you might need to get that water from your hillside ditch to the other side; so that means pipe (or a concrete lined swale crossing the drive). If you use pipe; go bigger and longer than you think. Dont use 4" flex pipe; I'm talking about an actual culvert. You want atleast 4-6 ft from the edge of the cross drain to the driving surface. No fun to find the edge on a rainy night with a trailer...

I visualize it. Thank you.

 

[Forest_Man]

your going to need to create a dirtch/swale that keeps the water from running down your driving surface.

Very clear.

Can this swale be created with a rental mini excavator? - the road is existing already, but missing the swale on the inside then the culvert crossing over to the other side.

 

[Forest_Man]

BTW, my little sketch, I know those slopes are extremes, I just drew it that way to better illustrate what I was trying to show; I hope your not working with that kinda slope

I am not. And the road is already existing. My next step is to remove the water way, possibly with the swale detail you pointed it out.

 

[paulsharvey]

Very clear.

Can this swale be created with a rental mini excavator? - the road is existing already, but missing the swale on the inside then the culvert crossing over to the other side.

Yes. I would want something like an 18" smooth bucket. I would paint the swale location with marking paint; start at the top of the hill, tracks pointed in the direction of travel, stablizer bucket center of your drive, pointed down hill; and work from the road. Basically one or many two scopes (about 8-12" deep), rotate the cab, and throw that material on the outside of your roadway, down hill. Then track 2-3 feet, take another scoop. Working top to bottom. Not a deep ditch really, until you hit an area that forces you to take more.

 

[paulsharvey]

The ditch/swale will be pretty slow, but im guessing if you can run a hoe, you make 500 LF in the first day? Maybe 800LF/day after that?

Are we dealing with any rock or shale in the hill face? Any seeps, springs, constantly wet areas?

 

[paulsharvey]

Just so you know, you Can do this ditch work with about 6-10 passes with a angle and tilt grader blade. You would work top to bottom; with the inside corner tilted down, and also swept to roll the windrow into the roadway, maybe 3-4" deep per pass; then relevel the blade, and then sweep your windrow towards the outside with successive passes. If there is rock of any sort, the rear grader blade is going to be pretty much a non-starter though.

This is where it becomes a question of your time, ability, and patience. Also, not all rear graders allow the tilt of the level; just the change in angle.

Something like this 84" King Kutter rear blade (HD-RB-84) would work; but is $2200; but something like the King Kutter 84" at RK (5000-RMB-84-RR) doesn't have the tilt, just pivot, at $1700. You can still get a couple degrees of tilt with the lower 3 point link adjustment; but I don't know if that's enough to effectively cut the ditch?

Yes, a Box blade can also be adjusted using the lower links; but it doesn't give you the ability to "hook" that material out, or to windrow it.

 

[Code54]

Very clear.

Can this swale be created with a rental mini excavator? - the road is existing already, but missing the swale on the inside then the culvert crossing over to the other side.

Yes, very easily. I recently did a 1/4 mile of road with our mini and a 36" smooth trenching bucket. It will not take you all that long especially if you can dump it within the swing of the excavator (or in a dump trailer/truck).

Here is another older sample of how I cut a shallow ditch/swell that has worked great for about 2 years now. The hill to the right goes up about 50' and this swell/ditch allows me to control the runoff to the point the road has never received any damage from storms since installed. This is also about ¼- 1/5 of a mile and I was able to do it between lunch and dinner to give you a time reference. (I hit very little rock, however)

I did install a few drains/pipes to take water under the road and made sure to crown the road to aid in drainage.

 

[Forest_Man]

The ditch/swale will be pretty slow, but im guessing if you can run a hoe, you make 500 LF in the first day? Maybe 800LF/day after that?

Are we dealing with any rock or shale in the hill face? Any seeps, springs, constantly wet areas?

I am renting the excavator for drainage work near the house and i'll try to take advantage of the rental time and see how hard it is creating these drainage runs on the driveway. If I feel comfortable with the task, then I'll extend rental and continue the task.

The entire place seems to be infested with rocks. I need to talk to an expert that can explain what type of soil we have up here.

But here is how it looks after the timber sale, when they bulldozed trees around:

And here is how it looks at certain places: