Crowning a Driveway

RobJ · May 11, 2006

( RobJ- What is the best way to solve this type of problem? This is a lengthy driveway, so putting down a lot of material= $$$
Thanks )

Well not saying it's the only way...but. You want a road material thay packs down tightly, and stays put for a long time. Persoanally I don't see a lot of fun in constantly maintaining a road. Plus when friends come to visit they pull up with whiplash from all the dips...

But if you like to maintain a sand road if can be fun. But after you spent 2 hours grooming it an 2" rain comes and ruts it up on 5 minutes. And in the process takes the soil with it.

When you live that far off a main road there are good things and not so good things. But a road is like any other tool or item, if you do it right the first time, you will usually get better results.

Good Luck!

3RRL · May 11, 2006

Josh,
( Do you think I could set just one or two scarifers down with the box level and bust up the soil before trying to dig a gutter?)

Yes, I do that all the time with no problems. It will pull easier for your tractor too. Using one or two will let it dig in pretty good. Just keep and eye on them because it will be easier for the tractor to overpower one or two instead of all of them down. You don't have to sink them in too deep either, just enough to make the sides of the drive gradable, so you move that material towards the center. It won't take as much as you think to do that. A slight crown is all you really want.

DiskDoctr · Jun 9, 2006

JoshJ,

Try using "2A modified" from your local quarry. This is smaller gravel with dust in it.

Wet it down when putting it down, and run over it when leveled. It will pack eventually like concrete.

If it is washing out from water runoff, put some small stones in the "ditch" that is washing, then put the 2A modified over it.

If tearing up for new base, use fabric under the gravel if all new driveway, or I also use #3 first (about 3" round gravel) first for a base, then 2A modified, then 2B for the traditional look, if so desired.

Be prepared. Anywhere from 6 weeks to 6 months after a new gravel drive is laid, it will commonly have some dips due to uneven base. After putting a light topcoat at this later date, just an occassional refresh of gravel should be in order.

Hope this helps.

-JC

DiskDoctr · Jun 9, 2006

JoshJ,

Try using "2A modified" from your local quarry. This is smaller gravel with dust in it.

Wet it down when putting it down, and run over it when leveled. It will pack eventually like concrete.

If it is washing out from water runoff, put some small stones in the "ditch" that is washing, then put the 2A modified over it.

If tearing up for new base, use fabric under the gravel if all new driveway, or I also use #3 first (about 3" round gravel) first for a base, then 2A modified, then 2B for the traditional look, if so desired.

Be prepared. Anywhere from 6 weeks to 6 months after a new gravel drive is laid, it will commonly have some dips due to uneven base. After putting a light topcoat at this later date, just an occassional refresh of gravel should be in order.

Hope this helps.

-JC

JimMorrissey · Jun 9, 2006

Josh...I used to maintain, (try to anyway) a 1/4 or so gravel drive with a rear blade. It was not the best tool for the job IMO. Granted I didn't have a big blade and a heavy machine, but it was hard to get the crown right without T&T. Even with T&T the machine just didn't have the umph to move the material to create a real crown. You need the power and traction of a dozer to push and cut lots of packed road base.

The only way I'd try it again is to either rent a dozer and create the crown properly, or hire a dozer out for a half day. Hire out is probably better just because the crown should be shaped by an experienced operator so you're not wasting time and money. Then you really should put down fabric and cover it with the top material. This is costly, but it's the right way to do it. If you don't use the fabric, the top material migrates down and depresses into the softer soils below creating the washboards and the pot holes. If you don't go with the fabric, try to come up with a dozer to have the base sculpted. You can nicely maintain the surface with a CUT and a BB. A 1/4 mile drive with no fabric and no real crown is nothing short of nightmare. You'll be fighting it endlessly and it'll never last very long after you grade the surface with your machine. --Odds are high you know all this and it's nothing new, but just wanted to mention it so you don't become a slave to the road. It's nice to get it done and then maintain it once each spring.

I couldn't convince the two other neighbors that shared the road that it was the thing to do, so it never got done. We just had a rutted, washboarded and pothole filled road until I got around to scraping off the surface with my rear blade.....one week later it looked just as bad. It was endless and kind of embarassing at times when friends and family visited. I used to just leave it so the neighbors had to drive over the washboards and potholes.

I now use fabric on everything and what a difference it makes. My new road (1200') is like an interstate and will require little annual maintenance in time and additional money....but it does cost and that's where the problem lies /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

JimMorrissey · Jun 9, 2006

Josh...I used to maintain, (try to anyway) a 1/4 or so gravel drive with a rear blade. It was not the best tool for the job IMO. Granted I didn't have a big blade and a heavy machine, but it was hard to get the crown right without T&T. Even with T&T the machine just didn't have the umph to move the material to create a real crown. You need the power and traction of a dozer to push and cut lots of packed road base.

The only way I'd try it again is to either rent a dozer and create the crown properly, or hire a dozer out for a half day. Hire out is probably better just because the crown should be shaped by an experienced operator so you're not wasting time and money. Then you really should put down fabric and cover it with the top material. This is costly, but it's the right way to do it. If you don't use the fabric, the top material migrates down and depresses into the softer soils below creating the washboards and the pot holes. If you don't go with the fabric, try to come up with a dozer to have the base sculpted. You can nicely maintain the surface with a CUT and a BB. A 1/4 mile drive with no fabric and no real crown is nothing short of nightmare. You'll be fighting it endlessly and it'll never last very long after you grade the surface with your machine. --Odds are high you know all this and it's nothing new, but just wanted to mention it so you don't become a slave to the road. It's nice to get it done and then maintain it once each spring.

I couldn't convince the two other neighbors that shared the road that it was the thing to do, so it never got done. We just had a rutted, washboarded and pothole filled road until I got around to scraping off the surface with my rear blade.....one week later it looked just as bad. It was endless and kind of embarassing at times when friends and family visited. I used to just leave it so the neighbors had to drive over the washboards and potholes.

I now use fabric on everything and what a difference it makes. My new road (1200') is like an interstate and will require little annual maintenance in time and additional money....but it does cost and that's where the problem lies /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Slamfire · Jun 9, 2006

The nice thing about a back blade is that you can lower one side like the photo of the box blade, AND angle the low end forward. This moves material from the gutter you are creating to the center of the road, thus creating a crown.
My drive isn't level so I have several places where one side of the road is higher than the other, allowing the water to drain. If I left a crown in the middle I'd have standing water on the high side since it couldn't drain anywhere but onto the road.
The land is steep enough that trhe runoff can build up velocity and cut a wild ditch on the low side, and some places where the surface is displaced as the water flows across. I have made run outs, and when they get full, pond scoop the material back into the ditch on the side of the drive. I have a landscape rake so after the spring rainy season I can rake the rock to the top of the surface. Clearly the underlayment would have helped prevent the latter but it is Forest Service right of way. They don't mind me grading or even adding material but won't allow me to dig down deep enough to use the fabric. Plowing snow moves gravel to the ditch since that is where I'm trying to put the snow. I need gauge wheels on the blade. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

Slamfire · Jun 9, 2006

The nice thing about a back blade is that you can lower one side like the photo of the box blade, AND angle the low end forward. This moves material from the gutter you are creating to the center of the road, thus creating a crown.
My drive isn't level so I have several places where one side of the road is higher than the other, allowing the water to drain. If I left a crown in the middle I'd have standing water on the high side since it couldn't drain anywhere but onto the road.
The land is steep enough that trhe runoff can build up velocity and cut a wild ditch on the low side, and some places where the surface is displaced as the water flows across. I have made run outs, and when they get full, pond scoop the material back into the ditch on the side of the drive. I have a landscape rake so after the spring rainy season I can rake the rock to the top of the surface. Clearly the underlayment would have helped prevent the latter but it is Forest Service right of way. They don't mind me grading or even adding material but won't allow me to dig down deep enough to use the fabric. Plowing snow moves gravel to the ditch since that is where I'm trying to put the snow. I need gauge wheels on the blade. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

JimMorrissey · Jun 10, 2006

I agree blades are nice if one has a heavy machine that won't get pulled off line while you're trying to shape the base. T&T would be perfect here with a HD blade and some HP.

JimMorrissey · Jun 10, 2006

I agree blades are nice if one has a heavy machine that won't get pulled off line while you're trying to shape the base. T&T would be perfect here with a HD blade and some HP.