Driveway Delima

firewalker · Mar 7, 2007

I could use some advise on a problem that is occurring in my driveway. Quick history......Summer of '05 I cut a new driveway into my woods, virgin soil. No problem except last spring about this same time, and again now on a section that is on a hillside, there is an area that becomes so soft and mushy (from water seepage) that it almost swallows your vehicle if you drive over it. It went away last year after the spring thaw and rains were over and didn't give me any problems the rest of the year, even in the hardest rain. I'm thinking if I dig it out when it is dryer, put in some perforated pipe and run it over to the ditch, cover it with gravel, that it might take care of the problem. I would appreciate any ideas or past experience stories that could help me out. Thanks in advance!!

inveresk · Mar 7, 2007

As well as getting rid of the water, I'd consider using geotextile below the rock base. This link explains the advantages.

http://www.agf.gov.bc.ca/resmgmt/publist/600Series/644000-2.pdf

firewalker · Mar 7, 2007

Thanks for the link!! That looks like it might do the job. I would still need to redirect the water wouldn't I?

inveresk · Mar 7, 2007

I'd divert it as you suggested in your first post. You might get away without doing so but it's not the type of thing you can easily retrofit if you find it's necessary.

EddieWalker · Mar 8, 2007

Since it only happens in the spring and not after a heavy rain, I'm thinking it's the height of your water table. When the snow melts and there is a massive amount of water around, the water table is at it's highest. Do you have a well? It should also reflect this.

Then when things dry out and the water table lowers, your problem goes away. Again, your well should confirm this.

The fabrick should help your surface rock from sinking into the soil, but it wont do anything for the wet conditions.

Tiles might help some, but I have my doubts. You can never move more water than the ground is producing when it's saturated.

Your two options are to find a way around it, or build up and go over it. With enough soil, you can cross a lake. I think you need to raise the road in that area several feet.

The ground water will still rise to the surface, but where the road is built up, it will seek the path of least resisitance and work it's way out the sides of your built up road.

The trick is to build it up high enough that the water in the ground wont reach the surface where you drive without wasting your time building it up too tall.

Be sure to put a culvert through the built up road to keep water from damming up on the other side.

Eddie

firewalker · Mar 8, 2007

Thanks inveresk and Eddie for the reply and suggestions. My well is down the hill from this area and is about 285 feet deep. I've been told that it is in the engine and will probably never go dry. The area that is giving me problems is surprisingly close to the top of the hill. I think the problem is stemming from the snow melt off and the exesive amount of rain we get in the spring. For me to build this area up would create new problems with the % of incline that it would create to even it out with the rest of the drive (going downhill). It might pay me to have a dozer come in and slightly reroute the drive at this point if the above mentioned ideas do not work. This will probably be a project that will take a couple years to work out. Thanks again you guys!!