4' X 17' Gravel pathway at 20% slope

[DwayneB2021]

To access a pole barn I need to construct a gravel pathway down a pretty steep slope. It's 17 feet long, at about a 20% slope (maybe a little more), about 4 feet wide.

My plan is to have a 3.5 inch total thickness gravel path as follows:

- Nonwoven geotextile under the gravel

- First two inches would use a Geo Grid lattice, filled with #47 crushed gravel
Here's a video of someone using this product on a driveway (my application is a walkway)

- That would be topped by 1.5 inches of #8 (or similar) crushed stone

- Gravel retained by 4" edgers along the sides

Has anyone here tried building a gravel path or driveway this steep, and what were the results?

 

[dirttoys]

To access a pole barn I need to construct a gravel pathway down a pretty steep slope. It's 17 feet long, at about a 20% slope (maybe a little more), about 4 feet wide.

My plan is to have a 3.5 inch total thickness gravel path as follows:

- Nonwoven geotextile under the gravel

- First two inches would use a Geo Grid lattice, filled with #47 crushed gravel
Here's a video of someone using this product on a driveway (my application is a walkway)

- That would be topped by 1.5 inches of #8 (or similar) crushed stone

- Gravel retained by 4" edgers along the sides

Has anyone here tried building a gravel path or driveway this steep, and what were the results?

Yea sure, and what you have should work good. I take a different path because I am always afraid of taring up the cool stuff under the gravel with a blade or hoe if I need to adjust, or dig across for anything.

3 inches of 1" base (some one inch rock with a bunch of fines and dust). Pack it like your life depends on it. Then 3 inches of 3/4 minus road rock (3/4 rock with some fines) pack it again, if you feel like the top can move (it shouldn't) drop an inch of fines on that and pack one more time.

As long as you don't have water running down it, or across it, it is guaranteed to never bust, rust, or collect dust.

Mine is steeper (pretty exciting in the winter) and holds just fine.

Best,

ed

 

[Pleease]

Yea sure, and what you have should work good. I take a different path because I am always afraid of taring up the cool stuff under the gravel with a blade or hoe if I need to adjust, or dig across for anything.

3 inches of 1" base (some one inch rock with a bunch of fines and dust). Pack it like your life depends on it. Then 3 inches of 3/4 minus road rock (3/4 rock with some fines) pack it again, if you feel like the top can move (it shouldn't) drop an inch of fines on that and pack one more time.

As long as you don't have water running down it, or across it, it is guaranteed to never bust, rust, or collect dust.

Mine is steeper (pretty exciting in the winter) and holds just fine.

Best,

ed

Just curious what you pack "like your life depends on it" with (love the expression!). Do you use a simple tamper tool or maybe one of those gas-powered things that you can rent, or something else?

TIA

 

[dirttoys]

Just curious what you pack "like your life depends on it" with (love the expression!). Do you use a simple tamper tool or maybe one of those gas-powered things that you can rent, or something else?

TIA

Good question, I have relatively light equipment, everything under 10k. I track over everything with the skid or x, which ever I have handy. Keep the lift small helps a bunch, then multiple shallow passes with a harley rake, track it one more time and call it good. Most of my stuff holds up surprisingly well, but, if I had bigger equipment I would use it.

Best,

ed

 

[ArlyA]

Since I'm a foot trail gugru, I'm interested to see what is said here. 20% is a challenge!

 

[ultrarunner]

My grandfather always installed water bars on slope...

Don't really see too much of that anymore...

Some were simple wood constructed for paths and metal for dirt trails.

All about directing water.

It the path ices in winter would a simple hand rail be beneficial?

 

[dirttoys]

Since I'm a foot trail gugru, I'm interested to see what is said here. 20% is a challenge!

I think foot trails are more difficult in ways. Loose gravel or stones are a health risk. Drive ways if I can get a reasonable base, get the water off quick, and get roughly the right mix of fines, things go pretty well.

Best,

ed

 

[Pleease]

Good question, I have relatively light equipment, everything under 10k. I track over everything with the skid or x, which ever I have handy. Keep the lift small helps a bunch, then multiple shallow passes with a harley rake, track it one more time and call it good. Most of my stuff holds up surprisingly well, but, if I had bigger equipment I would use it.

Best,

ed

Got ya - thanks Ed.

I have only a Kubota subcompact tractor - maybe 2800# with the FEL, MMM, weight bar and me on it, and no tracks - but maybe many slow passes with that would help smush it down.

 

[dirttoys]

Got ya - thanks Ed.

I have only a Kubota subcompact tractor - maybe 2800# with the FEL, MMM, weight bar and me on it, and no tracks - but maybe many slow passes with that would help smush it down.

My skid is wheeled. When I say track, I just meant multiple overlapping tire passes. For your tractor, get as big a load as you can stand in the fel, and use the front tires. It is boring as heck, but, bout the best you can do. I don't think unpowered tampers help much, if you rent get something that shakes, either tamper or roller.

 

[DanMc77]

I have a pretty steep section of driveway at our place in NH. When we got the property, that steep section was covered in loose stone. It was miserable. I think the rain washed out all the fine material. To fix this I put down 32 yards of recycled asphalt. This was the best thing I could have done. It packed down easily, just driving the Jeep back and forth over it, and now 5 years later, parts of it are like pavement. There's still loose material there, but the tar-covered stones have a bite when a vehicle drives over that. I'm not sure what the grade is, but a two-wheel-drive vehicle will not be able stop and get moving again on that slope. Sometime I'll have to measure that.