Compacting "gravel"/"item 4"/"road base". Rent a Roller?

[beenthere]

You would be amazed what a difference even a small homeowner plate compactor and a good soaking of water will do after grading new crushed rock. Very sandy here and unless it's compacted next hard rain it's in the ditch and woods. Bought a cheap harbor freight compactor 10 years ago for a project. Have used it at many neighbor's rerocking. No washouts and hard as concrete if good crushed rock graded, watered and compacted. Water runs off instead of eroding.

Compact before washing off the fines that are good for binding the gravel together. Marbles of stone rolling around on the surface are not good to have on a gravel drive.

 

[rekees4300]

Youtube has several videos about gravel pothole repairs. In the compaction phase most of the videos recommend using a gas powered compactor.

Tomahawk Power 5.5 HP Honda Vibratory Plate Compactor for Soil Compaction JXPC50H - The Home Depot

 

[Fxfymn413]

A plate compactor will do the job; it just takes longer. What about a pull behind roller like a lawn roller but heavier? I have one that is loaded with concrete and weighs a good bit.

I never use it now that the drive is paved and if you lived closer I'd give it to you. I'm in VA if you think its worth the trip. PM me.

 

[Tony H]

This is the Catskills area of NY. Ground is typical rocky cuss inspiring stuff. The road has been here for decades. What the "road base" is, is known only to the long ago departed. And they ain't talking.

Over the last several decades, that has been covered with the stuff mentioned and compacted. The compacted covering goes by those several names but is basically small stone, 3/4 inch or smaller if specified, and fines "down to dust". Kind of like concrete mix.

That is all I plan on putting down.

It sounds like Crusher Run. That's what we call it here in the Cobleskill, NY area. That stuff packs very quickly without need to Roll. Have the delivery truck put the chains on the gate of the truck and run it out for you. It will stop out fairly level. Then backblade the highpoint in center of run-out to level.

 

[KyDeere5065]

I work at an equipment rental store. I would suggest renting something. If it’s not much a plate compactor will do the job. It’s about the speed of a push mower. If it’s a lot get a ride on. Single drum would be best for a big job. Double drum would work as long as it’s dry. I like the class I sand. It works well and compacts very tight.

 

[Surshot]

Gravel driveways or roads do not stop running out to the sides unless you put a barrier down both sides, which turns the entire project into a bigger problem. Just went through this on a 700 ft long driveway. I cut it, sloped it, planted grass, put gravel in, drug gravel, etc, over and over again. Then I just hired a paving company, had them do the job right, cut, leveled, sloped, proper base, powdered lime stone, etc. now have a box blade I do not use any longer.

 

[deezler]

Gravel driveways or roads do not stop running out to the sides unless you put a barrier down both sides, which turns the entire project into a bigger problem. Just went through this on a 700 ft long driveway. I cut it, sloped it, planted grass, put gravel in, drug gravel, etc, over and over again. Then I just hired a paving company, had them do the job right, cut, leveled, sloped, proper base, powdered lime stone, etc. now have a box blade I do not use any longer.

? sorry to argue but I gotta counter this one. My gravel driveway of loose natural stone does not have any problems with "running out to the sides", even on my moderately hilly parts. And no, you definitely do not want to "put a barrier down both sides". Quite the contrary.

All you really need is a good crown on the road, to get the water OFF the road quickly, and ditches to carry it further down and away. Gravel road quality and durability is all about water management, in my experience. Get it off quickly, and take it away. Keep your road bed high and dry.

I also stopped using my box blade on my driveway. Although it worked ok for reconditioning, I bit the bullet and dropped $1500 on a 6' land plane, which is simply the cat's meow for quick smoothing of a gravel road. One pass in each direction has all the periodic washboards eliminated and a perfect smooth layer of stone left behind. That said, I actually wish I needed to use it more often, because it's fun and so satisfying. But my 1000' gravel driveway (thin layer of loose 21A natural gravel atop a well compacted base of 2-3" gravel and crushed concrete thats had 8 years now to pack tight with fines) stays in perfect shape all summer long on its own.

 

[deezler]

Back to the question by OP Joe though - I wouldn't imagine that a fancy vibratory roller is really ever needed to compact a thin application of gravel. Seems like total overkill to me. Most people don't bother with compacting gravel driveways, and they turn out just fine. The car and truck traffic does the compacting.

Wait for a wet day (like dodge man says, things compact best when quite damp) and run your pickup with 50+ psi tires up and down it a few times... done.

 

[joea99]

Seems every now and then, subscribed to posts do not notify me of new messages. Sorry if anyone feels slighted by no direct reply.

The lay downs will be up to several inches as I want to, at the very least, improve the surface to encourage quicker run off to the side and discourage those longer downhill runs that do most of the damage by turning into little rivers.

I am looking at getting a plate compactor as I "need one anyway" to make some flat spots for sheds. Just don't want to rely only on the tractor and traffic to do the profile how I hope to make it. Not sure at my age I can really do the job with it.

I'm looking at maybe a used Wacker Neuson WP1550AW that are going for about 1200-1500. A reversible one would be nice but way beyond what I want to spend. I don't want to spend even that, but a HF deal goes for near $700 these days.

 

[dodge man]

The reversible ones I’ve seen just have the handle flip over.